A MUSICAL EXPERIENCE FOR JEWISH CHILDREN & TEENS WHO HAVE LOST A PARENT
RIKI GOLDSTEIN
A POWERFUL VORTEX OF ENERGY SEEMS TO WHIRL AROUND ELI GERSTNER, AS MARCH 13TH AND THE HEART CONCERT DRAW NEAR. THE EG PRODUCTIONS TEAM IS IMMERSED IN PREPARATIONS FOR AN ADVANCED, MULTI-FACETED, MUSICAL EXPERIENCE PROMISED TO BE AS HEARTWARMING AS IT IS MIND BLOWING.
HEART will benefit children and teens who have lost a parent. The unique beauty of the beneficiary organization is reflected in its discretion and sensitivity. Staying beneath the radar is part of the mission of Links & Shlomie’s Club, who aim to be there for support, therapy, Shabbatons, and a shoulder to lean on, without compromising their clients’ dignity and privacy one iota.
Despite this low profile, though, they have won the deep respect of those in the know. “I did not have to do any convincing,” Eli confided. “When performers, vendors, and sponsors heard that the organization will be singing our hearts out for its Links & Shlomie’s Club, the reaction was immediate. The reputation that Links & Shlomie’s Club has earned meant everyone jumped to be counted in, from concert headliners to our venue. Hashem paved the way for this concert to raise the roof, literally bringing a new level to the music scene.”
Eli’s six year odyssey of working for Camp HASC (A Time For Music) included producing ten shows on a level perhaps higher than anything the Jewish music world had seen. For the last concert, Winter 2021 (ATFM 34), his team grappled with constantly-changing Covid regulations which could easily have seen the grand fundraiser cancelled, yet they produced an unprecedentedly glorious event on the ice rink of the American Dream Mall, watched by over 150,000 people on computer screens worldwide, and making over 3 million dollars.
Yet this year, it was time to move on. From the harrowing earliest days of the Covid pandemic, it became clear that there would be families faced by the bitter loss of a parent. Jews united in prayer, then in pain, as friends, neighbors, and acquaintances had their lives changed forever. The losses were immense, and everyone yearned to help. Eli knew he wanted to do something for these families in the way he knew best, to stretch out a hand in support and assistance, through music.
In simple math, the Links & Shlomie’s Club clientele has tripled since the pandemic. Thousands more families have been left fatherless or motherless since 2020, and Links & Shlomie’s Club has served as an anchor for these bereaved children in all our neighborhoods.
“Klal Yisrael has organizations for every need,” Eli said. “The one I have chosen to work with has really captured my heart like never before. And the event we are working on will also be like nothing I have ever done before.
For more information about the Heart concert visit LinksConcert.com or call (347) 445-1231.
Riki Goldstein is a music columnist and an author who savors the color, strength, and richness of real-life stories. She is also a memoir writer who creates family heirloom books.
