Last week, Vision for Israel was delighted to conclude yet another cultural event supporting Victims of Hostilities.
In cooperation with the Representative Organization of Victims of Hostilities, we held a cultural evening at the Arts Centre in the neighbourhood of Pisgat Ze'ev in Jerusalem.
About 307 survivors of hostilities and 35 Holocaust survivors (invited by Vision for Israel) came to watch the musical "Bustan Sephardi" (Spanish Garden) by the Habima Theater, directed by Tzadi Tzarfati.
For victims of hostility, the ongoing effects of trauma, PTSD, and loneliness are just some of the burdensome wounds which they fight to heal every day. Finding relief amid such intense healing is often a hard task for many, as even keeping up with the basic tasks can be daunting.
For that reason, we took it upon ourselves to organize an evening in which, for a few precious hours, they could enjoy a life-giving evening full of laughter and entertainment.
We kicked the evening off by registering all who came and meeting them face to face. Greeting them, taking their names, and distributing their tickets for the play allowed us to say, without many words: "We see you".
After that, we were delighted to see the sparkle in their eyes and the smile on their face as we then handed out gift baskets filled to the brim with pampering products such as hand cream, body lotion, body wash, and body butter, all gifted by "Sabon shel Pa'am".
We then moved on to enjoy a casual time of connection and conversation over a selection of light refreshments - coffee, tea, soft drinks, cakes, and sweet and savory pastries.
Coming out of a long period of Covid restrictions in which we could not gather in groups, it was great fun to see the hall filled with people and hear the sounds of laughter and joy before the show.
During and after the play, many came to thank us, expressing their enjoyment of the play, the gift baskets, and our kindness.
A representative of the Holocaust survivors said that even after the lights went out and all went home, some of the survivors called later on to say thank you and express their enjoyment of the play and how respected they felt as we gave them the best and most accessible seats in the house!
VFI was privileged to donate the refreshments, means of transportation for the participants, a photographer to document their smiles, as well as cover half the cost of the play.
