On the evening of December 18, 2018, SHAI co-hosted a concert featuring Maureen Nehedar at Temple Israel of Great Neck. In her first visit to the U.S. in 15 years, Nehedar performed magnificent traditional Jewish-Persian music and poetry, in addition to new compositions in Hebrew and Farsi to a fully packed Sanctuary. Nehedar was born in Iran, and moved to Israel as an infant with her family after the revolution. By reviving poetry and texts from Jewish sources, Nehedar writes her own modern original compositions, and integrates them into her concerts along with traditional Persian folk lyrics. Nehedar is the only composer in the world who performs traditional Persian-Jewish music and poetry. Nehedar’s moving performance at Temple Israel was not her final one. Nehedar did a special and beautiful performance for SHAI Senior Social Center. She also did a meet-and-greet at a private residence.