Thousands Celebrate at Jerusalem's 'One Heart' Festival for Special Children

Thousands of special children and their families gathered at the 'Ma'aleh Ramot' auditorium in Jerusalem for a large Sukkot celebration organized by the 'One Heart' organization. The event featured renowned singers and a large orchestra, with hundreds of the organization's volunteers actively participating. Volunteers danced with the children, accompanied them throughout the evening, and ensured each child felt like the center of attention.

Distinguished guests included Rabbi Asher Weiss and Rabbi David Yosef, who both offered words of encouragement. Rabbi Weiss spoke about the virtue of supporting families facing challenges, stating, "When a Jew bears his friend's burden and brings joy to someone whom God sent to the world with a special soul, it is among the greatest merits in acts of kindness." Rabbi Yosef blessed the volunteers, remarking, "The joy of the holiday is complete when one succeeds in bringing joy to those who need it most; blessed are you for meriting to be emissaries for this great commandment."

Member of Knesset Rabbi Yitzchak Goldknopf also attended, dancing and bringing joy to the children. He emphasized that the volunteers' connection with the children extends beyond the event, involving ongoing support through visits, Shabbatons, camps, and personal relationships that strengthen the entire family.

The organization also thanked the Jerusalem Municipality and Deputy Mayor Rabbi Eliezer Rauchberger for their participation. The celebration was enhanced by performances from singers including Lipah Shmelszer, Shmulik Klein, Sharly Green, Shimi Weiss, Moti Cohen, Mendi Roth, Shimi Lifshitz, and Simcha Abramczyk with his orchestra. The event was produced by Avi Glan and Meir Portnoy and their teams, with assistance from 'One Heart' technical volunteers who also set up a large guest sukkah for the attendees. The photography for the event was done by Yishai Yerushalmi.