RABBIS, COMMUNITY LEADERS AND OVER 700 PEOPLE ENJOYED A BEAUTIFUL AND INSPIRING EVENING IN HONOR OF COMMUNITY IDF VETERANS AND THE STATE OF ISRAEL. ON MAY 4TH, DSN HOSTED ITS LARGEST INDOOR COMMUNITY EVENT TO A SOLD-OUT CAPACITY—MAKING IT A RECORD BREAKING EVENING.
Guests arriving to DSN were greeted by large Israeli banners hung in the entranceway. Walking on an Israel-blue carpet, each child was handed an Israeli flag to wave. Once in the DSN gymnasium, it was thrilling to behold hundreds of seats covering the expanse, plus a huge stage with a professional lighting setup for a true concert performance. Excitement was in the air as the room filled up. Then at 8 P.M. sharp, a spectacular light show signaled the beginning of the show.
Norman Jemal was the Master of Ceremony, the perfect fit with humor, anecdotes, and brevity. He began by thanking DSN’s numerous sponsors for the evening and introduced Rabbi David Tawil of the Larchwood Synagogue. The Rabbi told the crowd that it was “a night of celebration, a night of joy, a night of happiness.” He thanked DSN “for putting such a wonderful night together, something our community needs to do and has been waiting to do for so long. Chazak U’baruch!” He encouraged everyone to be proud of their Jewish identity. “As we celebrate, as we sing, as we enjoy in happiness this great miracle, this most awesome of miracles that Hashem has provided, make sure that you recognize you are a Jew wherever you are.”
Then the Larchwood Boys Choir was introduced. The group was organized and led by Mr. Abie Betesh and consisted of Eli Braha, Isaac Braha, Robert Dweck, Bruce Epstein, Joseph Jemal, Isaac Khodari, Joseph Simhon, Maurice Zalta and Joseph Zekaria. This impressive choir gave a special performance, singing Israeli songs, beautifully and melodically.
Next, 10 community members who had served in the Israeli Defense Forces, including the Six-Day War of 1967, were called up to the stage. They were thanked and honored, while pictures of them in the IDF were shown on the gymnasium screen. After a long applause for the veterans, a somber moment of silence was taken for the fallen soldiers and those killed in terrorist attacks.
Community member Tally Grazi, whose parents were among the IDF honorees, shared the sentiment she felt. “It was the most wonderful evening. Honoring the present and former soldiers of the IDF brought us to tears. My parents had never been publicly acknowledged or thanked for their service. Now, at their ripe and blessed ages of 80, that is no longer the case. My dad turned 81 on this very Yom Ha’atzmaut and DSN just gave him the best gift of all.”
Finally, the main attraction came to the stage, Gad Elbaz and his band. Gad’s performance was an epic, magical and emotional way to celebrate Israel. The lighting and sound effects were sensational. Audience members were waving their flags, singing along, and smiling from ear to ear. When he sang his most famous songs, such as “Hashem Melech,” the noise from the gymnasium was unprecedented.
receiving Visionary Award
Stephanie Kaplan brought her family to the event. She was elated. “We enjoyed celebrating Israel’s independence and were so impressed DSN secured the talent of Gad Elbaz for entertainment. This yearly celebration now has a home at DSN.”
DSN’s Youth Director Frieda Shamah exclaimed, “It was an unbelievable night for the community as DSN brought amazing energy to Deal! We seized the night and made it extraordinary!” The excitement in the room was palpable. These are the moments when one looks around and realizes happiness is this moment in time, this night at DSN.
All of DSN’s greatest events tend to start with a small idea. This one was no different. One month earlier, on April 5, DSN held its annual extended board meeting, encompassing staff, board members and community members looking to become more involved. Inspired by the meeting, community members Honey Dayan and Jacqueline Musry expressed their vision of offering a Yom Ha’atzmaut celebration for the entire community. Over the next few weeks, they collaborated with DSN’s staff on every detail. Their vision was fulfilled to perfection.
Honey was overwhelmed with emotion. “It was an event for the entire community to celebrate the miracle that is the State of Israel. DSN’s amazing team brought this event to life in just 4 weeks. I am completely blown away by DSN.” Jacqueline was blunt about working with DSN. “I’m not sure this would have happened if it wasn’t for the incredible DSN team. Thank you so much for working with us and making this night so special!”
As next year marks the 75th anniversary of Israel, Honey is already thinking ahead. She’s excited. “I can’t wait to see what we can do together with a whole year of planning. See you then!”
