Music That Shows Up
With Jeremy / Yirmi’s Israel morale-boosting missions, what began ad hoc — to spread joy to chayalim in memory of a dearly departed friend who brought joy to everyone around him — has grown into an ongoing grass-roots effort. The feedback from soldiers, coordinators, and families has been deeply warm, and the music has spread real light at moments where it’s most needed. One thing led to another, and on these unique missions to Israel I’m able to bring joy and music to soldiers in different places. The music has been dedicated, throughout, to Elyakeem (z”l) and to my father (z”l). Read more in the Jewish Link →
These trips bring music to IDF soldiers, wounded soldiers in rehab, Magav (Border Police), firefighters, evacuees, and communities still finding their footing.
The work is funded piece by piece. Trips involve real costs — renting a car, incidentals (e.g. expensive gas in the Holy Land, among many other costs), and sometimes missing gigs back home in America while I’m there. I fundraise where I can, but most trips have come up short, and I’ve covered the difference from personal savings to keep the music reaching the people who need it.
At a moment when antisemitism is rising and Israel often faces unfair characterizations in many corners of public life, it feels more important than ever to show up — to bring love from America (and friends around the world) to our brethren in Israel, to stand alongside those on the front lines fighting terrorism, and to remind everyone, including ourselves: Am Yisrael Chai. I’m proud to be an American Jew who values our democratic ally in the Middle East. If you’d like to be part of these missions, any contribution — one-time or monthly — helps support and sustain these efforts.
