Published by New Jersey Stage
originally published: 03/12/2026
(TENAFLY, NJ) -- The Kaplen JCC on the Palisades Thurnauer School of Music presents the 2026 Gift of Music Scholarship Benefit Concert, taking place Sunday, March 29, 2026, at the Kaplen JCC on the Palisades. The event celebrates the extraordinary 41-year legacy of Dorothy Kaplan Roffman, founding director of the Thurnauer School of Music, whose leadership and vision have shaped one of the region's premier community music schools.
The evening will raise crucial scholarship funds to ensure that young musicians of all backgrounds have access to high quality music education—advancing the school’s mission, rooted since 1984, to support every family in the pursuit of musical excellence.
Open Exhibition (3:00pm–4:00pm) A special exhibition celebrating Dorothy Kaplan Roffman and four decades of the Thurnauer School of Music.
Scholarship Benefit Concert (4:00pm–5:30pm) Hosted by Elliott Forrest of WQXR 105.9 FM, the concert features: Kevin Lin, Concertmaster of the Indianapolis Symphony Orchestra, joining faculty, students, and alumni in Mendelssohn’s String Octet; Thurnauer Orchestra alumni returning to perform Leonard Bernstein’s “Mambo”; A world premiere by faculty composer Emily Ostrom, written in celebration of Dorothy Kaplan Roffman; Performances by distinguished Thurnauer ensembles, faculty, alumni, and special guest artists.
VIP Reception (6:00pm–8:00pm) A celebratory VIP dinner reception will be held at Lefkes in Englewood Cliffs, with dietary needs accommodated.
The Gift of Music Benefit Concert is the Thurnauer School of Music’s signature annual fundraiser, directly supporting need-based scholarships so that no child is turned away due to financial barriers. Since its founding, the school has remained committed to the belief that music education transforms lives and strengthens community.
Tickets are available for purchase online. Kaplen JCC on the Palisades is located at 411 E. Clinton Avenue in Tenafly, New Jersey. Attire: Festive Cocktail
Event Co-Chairs: Craig Barnett, Amelia Gold, Vivian Holzer, Carey White
Major Support Provided By: Drs. Joan & Alan Handler
The Kaplen JCC is a welcoming home away from home for all in Tenafly, NJ and for the wider community. Their vision is to be the center point of Jewish life in their community and to engage all generations in our mission and values.
They are a leading nonprofit, charitable organization deeply rooted in tradition and values seen through a Jewish lens, and are a vibrant and welcoming home for the Jewish People. They are a place that welcomes all, cultivating the social, intellectual, physical, and spiritual well-being of the entire community. They serve 3,000+ membership units and over 750,000 people each year in their 200,000 square foot building and acres of outdoor grounds and facilities.
Their facilities feature fitness centers, indoor and outdoor aquatics center, group exercise, cycling and Pilates studios, gymnasiums, tennis and pickleball courts, indoor track, racquetball courts, a luxurious spa, multiple playgrounds and fields and so much more. The Kaplen JCC is home to the renowned Leonard and Syril Rubin Early Childhood Center, Neil Klatskin Summer Camps, Thurnauer School of Music, Guttenberg Center for Special Services, as well providing extensive, high-quality dance, drama, sports, swim, and fitness programs and services to youth and adults of all ages, with specific departments serving people with disabilities, as well as a wide variety of programs that create a welcoming home to the Israeli-American population.
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