This year’s benefit marked an anniversary—we organized it for the tenth consecutive year. To mark the occasion, we decided to refresh our traditional concept and move the benefit to a new venue: Café Jedna, our partner establishment. Located in the Trade Fair Palace (Veletržní palác) in Prague, this café has been a long-standing partner, regularly providing its space for our discussion events titled ‘I Am Jewish and Well,’ where we introduce prominent figures of Jewish origin active in Czech public life to the wider public.
The benefit concert, held on November 19, 2015, was opened by the new Chairman of the Board of Directors, Mr. Michal Klíma, who emphasized the significance of the Foundation’s work through a poignant wartime story. He was followed by Gary Koren, Ambassador of the State of Israel, who spoke about the vital role played by institutions supporting Jewish life in the Diaspora and briefly addressed current challenges facing the Jewish community worldwide in light of the difficult situation in Israel. Following these speeches, attendees viewed a short film summarizing the work of the NFOH over the past year.
The evening’s host, Ester Janečková, then introduced the main performer of the night—Miroslav Žbirka. From his very first notes, he captivated the audience and filled the café with his music, performing his well-known hits alongside two duets.
The concert concluded with a traditional raffle, featuring round-trip airline tickets to Israel, a painting by Sylva Chludilová donated by the Efram Gallery, kosher wine and mead, a Hanukkah menorah with candles, and dinner vouchers for the Boutique Hotel Tanzberg and the King Solomon Restaurant.
We are delighted that this year’s concert brought together loyal supporters as well as new visitors. Among our guests were numerous donors and distinguished collaborators, making the benefit not only a charitable evening but also a meaningful opportunity to meet with friends from partner organizations and express our gratitude for their ongoing collaboration.
This year’s benefit raised 33,152 CZK, which will be dedicated to projects within our Care program, supporting organizations that care for Holocaust survivors and the second generation.
We extend our sincere thanks to everyone who attended our benefit evening and contributed to a good cause. Our gratitude also goes to the donors and partners of the concert: Café Jedna, Conseq, Association for the Restoration of Monuments in Úštěk Region, EL AL Israel Airlines, České vinařství Chrámce, King Solomon Restaurant, Jewish E-shop, Efram Gallery and Sylva Chludilová, Boutique Hotel Tanzberg, the Town of Loštice, Respect and Tolerance, and Jiří Suss.
