Yesterday (Sunday), the Cultural Center in Petah Tikva held a fundraising event on behalf of the residents of Mevo Modi'im, who lost their homes and all their property.
Also known as the ‘Carlebach Moshav’, the small town in central Israel which was founded by Rabbi Shlomo Carlebach and his followers. The moshav was almost entirely destroyed by a fire on May 23rd.
Top Jewish recording artists volunteered to perform, including some who grew up in Mevo Modiim and some even lost their own homes.
Among the artists who appeared on the stage were Yishai Ribo, Yitzhak Meir, Bini Landau, Aaron Razel, Haim David Serchik and others. As part of the show, NIS 100,000 ($27,740) was raised for the residents.
Most of the residents of Mevo Modi'im are on the lower end of the socio-economic scale, and many also lost their sole source of income in the fire. They were left with nothing but the clothes on their backs: no home, no clothes, no games for the children – and none of the necessities of life.
The show was held for the residents, produced by Yehuda Kalman, initiated by Sefi Meir and Yossi Harel, while everything was done voluntarily. The show was called "For My Brothers and Friends" and was hosted by Yedidya Meir.
A week after the fire disaster, the residents of Mevo Modi'im established a local committee to fight for their basic rights to proper housing, in light of the absence of a solution and in light of the difficult situation of residents who are being moved from place to place and their future to a permanent solution remains very uncertain.
Netanel Richman, a member of the Mevo Modi’im residents' Action Committee, spoke yesterday on behalf of the residents: "We all felt a powerful experience of tremendous caring from the people of Israel, we grew up on Rabbi Shlomo Carlebach and on this music. For us, this was not only a fundraiser, there was great reinforcement and elevation of our spirits as well."
