JERUSALEM – A celebratory Gala concert in honor of Chilean philanthropist Leonardo Farkas, benefiting United Hatzalah, Israel’s largest emergency response volunteer organization, will be held in the Jerusalem Theater on Thursday, April 17th, at 7:30pm. Three internationally renowned Chazanim will perform at the festive event, Cantor Netanel Hershtik (Hampton Synagogue, NY), Cantor Yitzchak Meir Helfgot (Park East Synagogue, NY), and Cantor Shlomo Glick (Jerusalem). Tickets can be purchased at http://www.concertinisrael.com/.
The three have joined together for a special, once in a lifetime performance, marking the 10th anniversary of United Hatzalah’s annual Pessach Gala. The Chilean businessman and philanthropist Leonardo Farkas will sponsor the event, and all proceeds will go directly towards purchasing lifesaving equipment for United Hatzalah’s volunteers. United Hatzalah is the largest independent, non-profit, fully-volunteer emergency medical services organization that provides first response care in Israel within 2-3 minutes of the initial call of distress. Farkas, who was internationally praised for gifting $10,000 to each of the 33 trapped Chilean miners in 2010, is a longtime supporter of United Hatzalah, sponsoring all of the operation costs of both their Haifa and Safed divisions.
These three world renowned performers are expected to put on an exhilarating and awe-inspiring evening of vocal splendor.
Cantor Netanel Hershtik started singing at an early age as a child soloist in the Jerusalem Great Synagogue with his father, Naftali Hershtik. His concert appearances include performances with the Israel Philharmonic Orchestra and the Jerusalem Symphony Orchestra, and he has performed around the globe in places like the Lincoln Center and Sydney Opera House. Netanel’s cantorial style is a blend of his artistic originality as well as his father’s inspiring influence, teaching, and signature cantorial style.
Cantor Yitzchak Meir Helfgot is considered to be one of the greatest living Chazzanim, on account of his great vocal dexterity and his incredible range. He has performed in prestigious venues such at the Metropolitan Opera House with the New York Philharmonic and its choir, Madison Square Garden, the Carnegie Hall and even at the White House. In 2012, he collaborated with renowned violinist Itzhak Perlman on a joint project for Sony, to record sophisticated new arrangements of famous cantorial pieces, reworked to include a dual focus on the voice and violin
Cantor Shlomo Glick (Jerusalem) is an up and coming Israeli star, and a United Hatzalah volunteer who regularly responds to emergency calls on his ambucycle. A former student of cantor Naftali Hershtik, he started his cantorial career as a soloist at the Jerusalem Cantors’ Choir. Known for his powerful, flexible voice with a brilliant and exciting tone across a wide dynamic spectrum, he has officiated as a Chazzan in Israel and worldwide. He was the winner of the 2009 Cantorial Festival of Israel, conducted Dr. Mordechai Sobol with the Israel Philharmonic Orchestra.
United Hatzalah President and Founder Eli Beer said, “We are honored to have the continued support of Mr. Farkas, whose generous support will enable this special evening to take place. Listening to these three exceptional voices while supporting saving lives, promises the Gala to be an evening to remember.”
United Hatzalah is Israel’s first and largest fully-volunteer emergency rapid response service. With a fleet of over 250 ambucycles, United Hatzalah’s 2300 volunteers respond to nearby emergencies from mobile-alerts and are able to arrive first on site to administer urgent care within minutes from the initial call of distress – bridging the gap between emergency and ambulance arrival. United Hatzalah is a fully non-profit organization that relies solely on the generous gifts of supporters worldwide; all emergency medical treatment is administered by fully trained volunteers that do not charge for their life saving service. For more information watch United Hatzalah Founder and President Eli Beer’s TED talk or visit www.IsraelRescue.org.
