Violinist to Play Opening Notes for Widows, Orphans
Above: Boris Savchuk is a regular visitor to Atlanta.
Israeli virtuoso violinist Boris Savchuk is giving a benefit concert in Atlanta on Sunday, Dec. 4, to kick off the Tzarkei Naomi Fund, a Jewish nondenominational organization supporting widows and orphans.
Savchuk, a child of Holocaust survivors, plays everything from klezmer, Yiddish and hasidic music to romantic, Latin and jazz. Although he’s working on his 11th CD and tours Europe and the United States, Savchuk looks for ways to give back to the community through causes such as the Tzarkei Naomi Fund.
Named for the widow Naomi in the Book of Ruth, Tzarkei Naomi fulfills the directive in the Torah to take care of widows and orphans. It’s the only organization in Atlanta focused on fulfilling that need.
Tzarkei Naomi was started by Laura Bogart, an artist who volunteers for several causes. For several years she was a board member of an Atlanta committee distributing food for the needy. Three years ago, she received a phone call from a recent widow who wanted to donate her husband’s clothing to someone in need.
In a flood of tears, the woman shared her own desperate need. After a long sickness, her husband died, and she was going to lose her home. Bogart and her husband helped raise money for her.
But realizing that she could only continue to raise funds for that widow and others in Atlanta through a formal organization, Bogart launched Tzarkei Naomi.
Devorah Caplan of Sephinta Zarka Music, who lives in Atlanta and represents Savchuk worldwide, approached Bogart when she heard of her appeal for the fund.
Caplan knew that about a year ago Savchuk played for widows in Crown Heights and was certain he would be interested in helping raise awareness of Tzarkei Naomi at its kickoff in Atlanta.
“Boris cares about people, about connecting with others personally and through his music,” Caplan said.
Savchuk has performed in over 100 cities in Israel, Kenya, Mexico, Poland, Russia, the United Kingdom, the United States and Ukraine. His website, Borisviolin.com, has logged more than 100,000 visitors from 37 countries, and his music was used in two wedding episodes of HBO’s “Sex and the City.”
Bogart hopes that the kickoff for Tzarkei Naomi will be a source of joy for attendees listening to the music of a gifted violinist, as well as a way to raise awareness for the needs of her organization.
A dessert reception with Savchuk will follow the performance.
Who: Violinist Boris Savchuk
What: Tzarkei Naomi Fund benefit concert
Where: Selig Center, 1440 Spring St., Midtown
When: 2 p.m. Sunday, Dec. 4
Tickets: $18 each, $28 per couple, $10 for seniors; tzarkeinaomi@aol.com or 404-735-3342
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