The 19th Annual Israel Day Concert in Central Park is expected to draw 20,000 people this year.
The Carl Freyer Tribute and Dr. Manfred Lehmann Memorial event, which will be held at Central Park's Summer Stage on Sunday, June 3rd , takes place after the Salute to Israel parade and is in honor of the 45th anniversary of the Six-Day War and the re-unification of Jerusalem.
Dr. Joseph Frager and Dr. Paul and Drora Brody, organizers and chairpersons for the past 7 years, have announced the concert's themes:
1.Jerusalem United Forever--Never to be divided again
2. No further concessions of ANY part of the Land of Israel and
3. Stopping Iran from acquiring nuclear weapons NOW, before it is too late!
The concert, which effectively is the largest Zionist rally in North America, possibly in the world, is sponsored by the Israel Concert-In-The-Park Committee, associated with Young Israel Chovevei Zion and the National Council of Young Israel. It pays special tribute again this year to the late Carl Freyer, who together with his wife Sylvia, founded the annual event in response to a call by Rabbi Shlomo Riskin, Chief Rabbi of Efrat, to mount some form of protest to the disastrous 1993 Oslo accords.
Mr. Freyer was a leader of the Nationalist camp and a supporter of numerous causes for many years, impacting every aspect of Jewish life in America and Israel. He and his wife were founders of Arutz Sheva and the National Jewish Outreach Program (NJOP). The Concert/Rally also salutes noted Jewish activists and philanthropists Dr. Manfred R. Lehmann z'l, who was the event's first Chairman, and Rose and Reuben Mattus z'l, of Haagen-Dazs fame.
The keynote speaker will be MK Danny Danon, Deputy Speaker of the Knesset and Chairman of World Likud. Rabbi David Algaze, President of the World Committee for the Land of Israel; Israel Prize winner and head of the hesder yeshivas, former MK Rabbi Chaim Druckman; Soviet refusenik and "Prisoner of Zion" Yosef Mendelevitch; Mark Langfan, creator of strategic maps of Yehuda and Shomron; and Scott Feltman, Executive Vice President of the One Israel Fund, are among the many exciting speakers.
A burst of musical and singing talent will entertain the crowd: Yehuda Green, protege of Reb Shlomo Carlebach; Sephardic stalwarts Avi Peretz and the Ouri Bitan Band, and Avner Levy; Tal Vaknin and Shlomi Aharoni, directly from Israel, both alumni of the Rabbinical IDF Orchestra & Choir; Chaim Kiss; Izzy Kieffer, also an alumnus of the Rabbinical IDF Orchestra & Choir, with Heshy R.; and Yitzy Bald's dazzling New York Boys Choir. Mendel Piekarski and Shlomo Skolnick, "Jewish Star" Junior Finalists, will make their debut on the SummerStage.
Musical accompaniment will be provided by the Shloime Dachs Orchestra & Singers.
The Israel Guide Dog Center for the Blind will poignantly remind us just what Israel is capable of when they exhibit their inestimable value to visually impaired clients.
There will also be cantorial performances. Hatikva and the Star Spangled Banner will be sung by Chazzan Joel Kaplan of Cong. Beth Sholom of Lawence. Aveinu Shebashamayim and the theme from Exodus ("This Land is MINE, G-d GAVE This Land to ME") will be rendered by Jerry Markovitz.
Nachum Segal will again Emcee. Zev Brenner will be producing a show of the Concert/Rally for television.
Delicious, strictly kosher food and drinks will be available, supplied by Mendys.
Message from the organizers: Bring your spirit, determination and Jewish pride, together with your family and your friends, to this massive Concert/Rally, so our voices will be heard around the world.
Concert information: June 3, from 2:30-7:30 PM, rain or shine. Early arrival is advised (enter at 5th Ave. & 72nd St.),as there will be added security checks. Admissiojn is free. Anyone interested in joining the SPONSOR/VIP LIST, contact 917-650-5623 immediately.