We recently held our annual gala, with a sold-out crowd of 500 people in person and hundreds more virtually. To put that in perspective, it’s akin to have 2,500 people B.C.E. (Before Covid Era).
Hardly any events of this scale are happening now, but thank G-d people came. And they had an exceptional time! It went beyond all our predictions—we had a larger turnout than anticipated and raised more money than we thought possible.
The logistics of arranging this year’s gala were unlike any other. Simple things like booking a hotel! Have you tried lately? Prices have skyrocketed. Many hotels shut down during Covid, and as tourists return to the city there just aren’t enough rooms to go around. Some hotels were quoting $1200/night!
Things that always went smoothly and quickly in the past, required superhuman effort this time. Like obtaining visas for our beloved soldiers. Two weeks before the gala we still weren’t sure if they would make it! And arranging their tour of the city required herculean effort.
Plenty of people told us no one would come because Sunday is the worst day for a large-scale event. And it was the 8th day of Chanukah when everyone wants to go to their family parties. Some people even bought tables they couldn’t fill. “What do we do?” they asked.
And then, just a week before the big day, the new variant from South Africa was announced. How’s that for timing! And we were suddenly flooded with calls. “Are we still on?” “Is the gala still happening?”
One of our guest celebrities canceled as soon as the new variant was announced. Oy vey! We were really relying on him!
And then we had to cancel an Airbnb we’d booked. If you’ve ever tried that, you’ll know how ironclad their cancellation policy is … I thought Covid would be an exception, but they are refusing to refund us any of the money at all. We may even need a lawyer.
And then, two days before the gala, more calls started to come in. “My child was exposed to someone…” “We have symptoms so we’re going to play it safe and stay home…” “We’re all in quarantine.” “We have to cancel, so sorry…” “We cannot attend, sorry.” Sorry, sorry, sorry. Well, we were sorry too!
But despite all the challenges—these and plenty more—we pulled off a most incredible and inspiring evening, with superstar singer Yaakov Shwekey, and stars such as Michael Aloni, Hadas Yaron, and Moran Rosenblatt. Our soldiers, the heroes of the evening, blew everyone away with their stories of courage and resilience.
Through all the obstacles we faced, we plowed forward, pushing ahead relentlessly. Ultimately, the evening was safe and the feedback we received made it all worthwhile. People left inspired, uplifted, feeling a strong sense of unity and purpose.
How did we do it? With deep trust in Hashem. Whenever things cropped up, or challenges seemed insurmountable, we kept Him in the forefront of our minds. Hashem is in charge. He is the boss, with full control. Nothing can change that. We prayed to him with full faith that things would work out, then sit back and let Him take the driver's seat.
Shabbat Shalom
Rabbi Uriel Vigler