Thanks to a last-minute matching grant from the Marcus Foundation, the “Concert for the Kibbutzim” organized by the students at The Weber School, which was delayed a day because of weather concerns, is on its way to making a significant difference in Israel.
The Atlanta-based Marcus Foundation offered up to a $50,000 matching grant, with 100 percent of all funds raised going to support Kibbutzim Nahal Oz and Nir Oz – which were both attacked on Oct. 7, 2023.
The Marcus grant made it possible for the concert organizers to set a monetary goal just a week before the event, said Rabbi Ed Harwitz, the head of the school.
“The students are determined to match that offer,” said Harwitz, noting that the concert was just the beginning of their efforts. Harwitz emphasized that the student-produced program wasn’t a one-off fundraiser.
“It will continue throughout the rest of the school year,” he said.
The initiative was designed not only to raise funds, but to raise awareness about the two kibbutzim that suffered deaths and widespread destruction when Hamas-led terrorists invaded Israel on Oct. 7, 2023.
The Atlanta Jewish community has been supporting about 400 members of Nahal Oz who temporarily relocated to Atlanta’s partnership region of Yokneam and Megiddo.
The effort is part of the project called “Communities Together Initiative” launched by the Jewish Agency for Israel (JAFI), according to Rich Walter, chief of programs and grant making at the Jewish Federation of Greater Atlanta.
Several members of the Atlanta Jewish community led of Steve and Gita Berman, Brian and Anat Granath, David and Joslin Sarnat, Steve and Melina Wertheim, Mark and Tova Cohen, and Joel and Charlotte Marks have been fundraising in the United States to help about 55 families evacuated from Nir Oz who hope to rebuild their lives in Kibbutz Beit Nir, further from the Gaza border.
At a last-minute meeting hosted by the Bermans last summer, Harwitz learned about the devastating story of Nir Oz. A couple of survivors recounted the horrors and losses they suffered that Saturday morning.
Of the approximately 400 residents of the kibbutz less than two miles from the Gaza border, one-quarter were either murdered or kidnapped into Gaza. Whole families were killed, and all but six of the homes were broken into or destroyed. Several Nir Oz residents are still held hostage in Gaza.
Held several days before he left for Israel, Harwitz attended an event at the home of the Bermans. While in Israel, he visited the kibbutz.
“I still find it impossible to put into words, the emotion, the full experience of visiting Nir Oz. On the long ride home, I began to think about the Weber students and how this is a moment in terms of Jewish history,” said Harwitz. “At times of great crises and challenge, it’s been our young people who helped enable us to survive at the most dangerous points. It’s been their energy and drive that enabled the Jewish people to thrive.”
The money raised by Weber will be split evenly between the two kibbutzim.
The concert, headlined by Weber house band, Broken Glass, included other students and musicians from the Atlanta Jewish community, and was sponsored by the school’s music program as well as the Michael and Andrea Leven Office of Student Service and Philanthropy. In addition, more than 30 synagogues and Jewish organizations partnered with The Weber School as sponsors.
“As part of the Atlanta Jewish community, I see this as an amazing opportunity to show solidarity with our brothers and sisters in Israel through the power of music,” said Noah Berg, 17, lead singer, keyboardist, and event organizer.
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