Music maestro Gil Shohat at the piano

Photos: Nathan Ginsburg

Two-hundred and thirty music lovers once again attended a Musical Evening at the Sharon Hotel, Herzlia Pituach where Gil Shohat, composer, conductor and pianist par excellence played mainly Chopin pieces and a Beethoven Sonata - The Pathetique.   Gil enthralled the audience with his explanations and information regarding the music and we were all delighted that he had once again this year agreed to sponsor his own performance.  He repeated to me prior to the evening that he did it with complete love, and even thanked me for inviting him!   He once again re-iterated his promise publicly that while there was one hungry child in Israel he would come back and give evenings like this!

Since the last Musical Evening, the Sharon Hotel have acquired a new Chef and Pastry Chef and the food was beautifully laid out, plentiful and very tasty.   Hot and cold food, including salads of every description and mini quiches and borekas were served on the buffet.   There were platters of mouth-watering miniature pastries and red and white wine and Israeli liquers, as well as hot and cold drinks.

I am more than grateful to Gil for sponsoring his own performance, to the owners of the Sharon Hotel for sponsoring this amazing evening and for also giving us, as a raffle prize, one free night in the hotel including breakfast for two people.   Thank you to Daniel Birnbaum of Sodastream, to Gil Shohat for CDs, Natalie for jewelry, Hayekev  Restaurant for 4 breakfasts, The Ra'anana Symphonette Orchestra for two concert tickets.   Thank you also to Lightvision who sponsored the hire of the projectors, to Nathan Ginsbury for taking photographs and to Michael Altman for setting up the keyboard camera.

Gil asked me at the end of his performance what the reaction was?   I told him that everybody is already in their seats for next year's event...

A packed audience at Sharon Hotel, Herzliya Pituach, enjoying the music and talent of Gil Shohat

                  Nelly Perry with Richard Stein, former Chair of ESRA and its Fundraising Committee