Oct 30, 2006 -- Internationally renowned singer and actor Dudu Fisher performed for nearly two hours before an enthusiastic audience of YU students in the Geraldine Schottenstein Cultural Center on Tuesday evening, October 24. The event inaugurated the Lori Schottenstein Annual Cultural Festival, made possible through a generous gift from Lori Schottenstein in tribute to her father, Jerome Schottenstein z”l. At a dinner for members and friends of the Schottenstein family which preceded the concert, YU President Richard Joel thanked Ms. Schottenstein for her vision and generosity and her family for their numerous gifts that have strengthened the caliber of education at the university and enriched student life. For photos of the concert, click here. Mr. Fisher, acclaimed for his starring role as Jean Valjean in the Broadway and London companies of “Les Miserables,” opened the concert with several of that musical’s best known songs, including “Master of the House” and “I Dreamed A Dream.” He dedicated the moving ballad “Bring Me Home” to the Israeli and American soldiers “fighting for freedom and liberty in this crazy world.” Throughout the concert Mr. Fisher, who was accompanied by talented pianist Shai Bachar, provided information about his life. The son of Holocaust survivors, he grew up in Israel, studied to be a cantor and served in the Israel Defense Forces. He thanked producer Cameron McIntosh for hiring him, an observant Jew, to star in “Les Mis” even though a “Shabbos goy” would take his place during Friday evening and Saturday matinee performances. Mr. Fisher, currently the cantor of The New York Synagogue, explained that he often misses out on opportunities for starring roles because of his faith and concluded the concert by affirming his faith through a personalized version of the Frank Sinatra standard, “I Did It My Way.” Called back to the stage by a standing ovation, he demonstrated the beauty of his tenor voice with a moving encore rendition of “Time To Say Goodbye,” made famous as a duet by Andrea Bocelli and Sarah Brightman.