On Sunday evening, May 21st, the Baltimore community’s achdus and generous support of six of Baltimore’s vital community organizations, Ahavas Yisroel, CHANA, Hatzalah, Shomrim, Tikvah House, and The Chesed Fund & Project Ezra, were on full display. The sold-out magical and musical performance by talented musician Ishay Ribo and his band had over 1,500 people in attendance.
Ishay is Israel’s prominent young musician who is known as “the great harmonizer” because he is equally beloved by religious and secular Jews worldwide. His fan base is so big and his music has become so well-known that he will be performing in Madison Square Garden in New York in just a few months. The more intimate concert here in Baltimore was held in Beth Tfiloh’s Main Sanctuary. Ishay even commented on how special it felt singing his songs in a beautiful “Beit Knesset.”
The event was selflessly and successfully coordinated by Avigail Rosemore with the assistance of Kenny Friedman, Rachel Guttman, Michal Kronick, Jeremy Lasson, Alinore Moinzadeh, Ashley Strauss, Itael Toibman, Sori Zahler, Dovi Ziffer, and the Chesed Fund & Project Ezra team, just to name a few. Everyone worked together seamlessly for months towards this very meaningful and special evening including Avigail’s team of devoted Chai Lifeline volunteers who helped out at the concert.
Frank Storch, Director of The Chesed Fund & Project Ezra said “When Avigail approached me with her idea to bring Ishay to Baltimore for this unique fundraising concept, I didn’t have to think twice. With the way all of our organizations come together to support the community, having Ribo, who is known for his incredible ability to bring so many different types of Jews together, just made perfect sense!” The audience represented a broad range of different types of Jews from Orthodox to secular who were all equally inspired by Ishay’s soul-stirring music.
Sponsors were treated to a five-star culinary experience arranged by Tzvi Landau of Catering by Yaffa along with a “Meet & Greet” with Ishay, which so many truly enjoyed. One sponsor, who wishes to remain anonymous noted, “Besides the amazing music and delicious food, I was so happy to be a part of this important night of giving back. As obvious by the impactful video shown before the concert, whether it is Hatzalah saving lives when every second counts, Tikvah House helping families with members facing serious illnesses, CHANA helping abuse victims, Shomrim protecting our neighborhoods, Ahavas Yisroel helping those in need or The Chesed Fund & Project Ezra helping keep our community safe, Baltimore is so, so fortunate. We have so many essential and wonderful volunteer organizations that support us.”
Another concertgoer mentioned, “Sometimes we forget to show our appreciation to people who put our needs before their very own. These organizations are the pillars of chesed, which Baltimore is uniquely known for, and we must show our appreciation as much as possible.”
The energy and unity of the night were palpable from the beginning of the concert. The audience was tuned in from the moment the show began and the excitement grew with each song. By the last song, Ishay’s big hit, Sibat Hasibot, concertgoers could not contain their enthusiasm, and most were jumping out of their seats. It was a memorable night in so many ways for Ishay Ribo, who shared how much he enjoyed performing in Baltimore, the audience, and the community organizations that help so many.
