The Afro-Semitic Experience
November 18, 2026 · 7:00 PM · WCR Center for the Arts, 140 N 5th Street, Reading · Free
About the event
The Jewish Federation of Reading/Berks brings The Afro-Semitic Experience to the WCR Center for the Arts as this year's Leo Camp Memorial Lecture, presented in the form of a concert. The downtown hall is known for its warm acoustics and close seating, which suits a group built on conversation between players.
The band was co-founded by African American jazz pianist Warren Byrd and Jewish American jazz bassist David Chevan, and its sound draws on jazz, gospel, soul, klezmer, spirituals and Afro-diasporic rhythms. The players carry a message they sum up as Unity in the Community, and their shows have traveled to festivals, churches, synagogues and colleges around the country. Expect deep grooves, stories between songs, and an audience that tends to end up on its feet.
Free parking is available in the M&T Bank lot at 50 N. 5th Street and behind the Fulton Bank at 210 N. 5th Street between Walnut and Elm. The WCR has an elevator at the rear of the building, and the Jewish Federation can arrange access for guests who need it.
