Legendary Hassidic singer Avraham Fried performed two days ago in Nahalal in the Jezreel Valley. He told his audience he had been invited to sing the Shehecheyanu thanksgiving blessing during the US Embassy transfer ceremony that was happening concurrently with their event.
"I must say that I was in Israel many times, Baruch Hashem, but the joy and history that you feel in the air everywhere in this country is impossible to describe to my brothers in America.
"I was here, I felt it, I lived it, and I feel that you see miracles here and God's kindness is visible. May it continue like this - to see open miracles and goodness that penetrate to the core of Israel."
Fried said he was invited by the organizers to sing at the historic event, but politely refused because of his prior commitment to perform in Nahalal. "A few days ago, the impresarios approached me and asked me to sing the Shehechiyanu blessing at the Embassy. [Maestro] Yuval Stoppel got a phone call from the American side. Who knows him? Maybe Kushner, or Ivanka? Ich veis nischt - I don't know; it's not important.
"I told them I would very much like to come, but there's a place called Nahalal and that's where I will be performing! I arrived here this morning, and I'm so happy to be with you here," Fried said to a crash of applause.