There’s nothing better than an afternoon filled with community, music, and food. Today, May 6th, a group of twenty survivors from ‘Children of the War,’ based in Netanya, joined HHC at the Shalom House in Caesarea for a concert and light lunch. Everyone arrived in high spirits, excited to hear the music that was to come. Bozena Gasiorowski hosted the event, with the help of Alyosha Ryabinov as translator and pianist.

The minute David Forman and Alyosha began playing their instruments, the room became transfixed. The combination of the violin and piano was heavenly, causing the audience to hang onto every note made. For an hour, everyone spoke the same language. Music connects us, and today you could feel that connection being formed; the mood of the house being indescribable. As the performance came to an end, the audience was brought back to the earth and applause echoed through the house.

Next, Doug Hershey took his place at the front of the room to present his book, Israel Rising. The presentation consisted of before and after pictures of Israel’s early development compared to today. Seeing the images illustrate the massive changes that have occurred in Israel in the last sixty years was incredible. Israel’s agriculture is thriving, and its establishment has unquestionably grown since the 1960s. With each picture, you could see the survivors recollecting the places they have lived and the transformation that has taken place since they immigrated.

Before lunch, Alyosha resumed his position behind the piano while his wife, Jody, took center stage. Together, the Ryabinov’s led the survivors in singing famous Hebrew songs; those who didn’t know the words clapped to the beat. It was an enjoyable performance for the survivors and our guests, who were from Germany and China.

Soon, the sound of music was replaced with the clattering of spoons against bowls and the chatter of the survivors talking amongst themselves and with our guests. Lunch was delicious and savory, though sweets were served with tea and coffee at the end.

A big thank you to Mila for bringing the Children of the War to the Shalom House, this week, and for your lovely gift. Also thanks to Richard Wuellner’s group from Germany for helping with the set-up and serving, and Petra and Leslie from March of Life for joining us and preparing the lovely meal.

Lastly, a warm welcome to our new volunteers, Jola and Lidia, from Poland! It’s so great to have them join us, they’re a great addition to our team!