Israeli benefit concert draws crowd

When Swarthmore graduate Anna Steingart took the stage last night, she conveyed the message, "There are not many degrees of separation nowadays." The Russian Cultural Association and Penn Hillel organized a concert to raise money for victims of terror in Israel. Houston Hall's Class of '49 Auditorium was filled throughout the evening with Penn students who donated their time and talent to the event, which at $10 a ticket raised thousands of dollars. College of General Studies student Roman Gorelik delighted the audience of over 200 members with his guitar and the haunting sounds of College junior Alex Pantelyat's violin pierced the room with tunes from Schindler's List and Johannes Brahms. During a potpourri of Yiddish folk tunes by Daniel Gildar, a cantor who was brought in for the event, many people in the audience broke out clapping. The evening also included dance numbers by students, ranging from a Brazilian dance to the Flamenco. "We should help these people, but since we are students and cannot send monthly checks, we decided to donate our talents," Gorelik said. Several people at the event, Steingart included, knew people in Israel who have been injured or killed in attacks and bombings that have terrorized the country for the past seventeen months. Steingart spoke about attending the funeral for one of her young friends who was killed in a terrorist bombing at Hebrew University in August. "I can tell you that shoveling earth on the coffin of a 25-year-old changed me profoundly," she said. "When people in their 20s are being killed in their prime every week, we know something is wrong in this world...." Steingart said that it was not a coincidence that the event was being held on the first day of the new Jewish month known as "Adar," calling it the happiest month in the Jewish calendar because its 14th day, known as "Purim", commemorates the 2,400-year-old victory of outnumbered Jews over the Persians. "They won because of their faith, courage and ability to stand together," Steingart asserted. "In the same spirit of Purim, we are united this evening with the people of Israel." As soon as Pantelyat stepped down from the stage, he welcomed the opportunity to share what he felt was the message of the evening. "The message is that the Jewish community is vibrant, and we won't let our enemies get us down," he said. "We will continue to make music and be joyful." Penn alumna Beatrice Marker remarked that she was, "simply delighted. I'm dancing in my seat over here." Drexel junior Victoria Greenberg had a more solemn take on the evening. "I just got back from Israel, and I feel a connection to the people," Greenberg said. The words of the Israeli national anthem pulsated through the packed room after it was sang in unison by the audience last night and left many students with a glimmer of hope despite the dire Middle East situation.

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