YJP Houston’s annual Lag B’Omer Kumzitz drew a warm and spirited crowd to Chabad of Uptown on Monday, May 4 for an evening of music, inspiration and community. Traditionally a YJP Houston event, this year’s kumzitz was opened to the broader community in honor of featured guest Leibel Lazaroff.

In a moving program of story and song, Lazaroff shared his personal account of surviving the Bondi attack and the long recovery that followed. Weaving his remarks together with meaningful music, he brought to the evening the message that has shaped his public talks since the attack: “We need to not just combat antisemitism, but also we need to focus on being more Jewish.”

From the Sydney Opera House, where he performed just hours after being discharged from the hospital, to the patio of Chabad of Uptown in Houston, Lazaroff’s journey lent the evening unusual depth and resonance. His reflections on survival, miracles and the challenge not to return to what was before, but to move forward with strength, gave the celebration a powerful sense of resilience and Jewish pride.

Lazaroff was joined by Danny Gavin, the High Holiday chazzan of Chabad of Uptown, whose accompaniment helped shape an atmosphere that was both stirring and intimate. Guests enjoyed made to order steaks, an open bar and a fire pit with s’mores, rounding out a memorable Lag B’Omer celebration.

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