Ishay Ribo performs at gala to support hospitalized children
Founded in memory of Gilat Eisenmann, a vibrant 11-year-old girl who passed away in 2008, the Gilat Foundation provides therapeutic live theater to children in hospitals.
Expanding its mission of hope and healing in Israel, the Gilat Foundation held its first annual gala at the ALYN Hospital rehabilitation center for children and adolescents on October 5 with an intimate evening performance by Ishay Ribo, whose inspirational music is a soundtrack of hope and healing to many.
Founded in memory of Gilat Eisenmann, a vibrant 11-year-old girl who passed away in 2008, the Gilat Foundation provides therapeutic live theater to children in hospitals in the Netherlands, Curaçao, and now Israel.
The organization’s first large-scale local fundraiser was created to educate the public about the critical role therapeutic theater plays in pediatric care, particularly during times of national trauma, and help expand the performances from four to eight hospitals in the country.
The elegant evening, produced by A to Z Events, brought together Gilat Foundation board members, donors, and newcomers to the organization, as well as Dutch Ambassador to Israel Marriet Schuurman.
“We believe theater is medicine no doctor can prescribe,” said Jair Eisenmann, Gilat’s father – the founder and chairman of the foundation. “What makes it magical is that children can forget pain, treatment, isolation, and even war for a few moments. We help them smile, which helps calm fear. For many children, a Gilat performance is the first time they’ve laughed in a long time.”
