I am very proud indeed to report another successful musical evening with Maestro Gil Shohat at the Sharon Hotel in Herzliya Pituah on March 13. The event was in aid of ESRA’s Hand in Hand Food Pantry in Netanya. 

Two hundred music lovers enjoyed a beautifully displayed buffet supper followed by a Chopin recital given by Gil. He told the audience that he would not, on this occasion, stay after his recital as ours was the third concert he had given that day and he needed to get home. He did, however, before he left, sign CDs which he had donated, and all were sold. As usual, all raffle prizes were donated, amongst them a night's stay at the Sharon Hotel with breakfast, two soda streams, a magnum of Dalton wine, CDs of Bat-Ella Birnbaum, cinema tickets, tickets for the Herzliya Chamber Orchestra and tickets for a concert in which Gil and the Russian jazz pianist, Leonid Ptashka, are appearing together.

Gil renewed the commitment that he had made  two years ago when he said that while there is one hungry child in Israel, he will give a concert.   I told him that he would be doing this for many years to come. He did it with complete love, he said.

I am so grateful to the Sharon Hotel for their participation and the tasty food and beautiful venue and, of course, to Gil Shohat, for what is always a memorable performance which he donates. Together they helped us to set high goals for our fundraising efforts which get more difficult each year in view of the present financial climate.