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David Herman

Gemma’s Coral Centre Fundraising Event Invite

GEMMA’S BIRTHDAY EVENT IN AID OF THE CORAL FAMILY CENTRE

This blog is in praise of my friend Gemma Blech whose birthday falls next week and she is turning her private birthday celebration into a public fund-raising event in aid of the planned Coral Family Centre named after Coral, the daughter of Ilanit Bud, who died after a severe illness.

Here now is Gemma’s moving account about her connection with Ilanit and Coral and why she feels so strongly about devoting her birthday celebration to this wonderful and important cause.

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As friends will recall, I recently went riding (my first time since seriously falling from a horse in 1976!) with friends Rechina van der Hoeven and Ilanit Bud. For years Rechina has taught therapeutic riding to severely handicapped people, and of late mentally handicapped as well. Ilanit met up with Rechina when her daughter Coral was severely ill, and it then became clear to them both that there was a huge need here in Israel for a FAMILY CENTRE for so many families struggling with huge disabilities. The individual patient can get adequate medical, educational, physio, therapies etc, but there is nothing for the whole family. So the dream for a Family Centre for the whole family unit was born. A place to ride –no matter how severe the mental handicap – to swim, to sleep, to meet others with the same stresses and more.

Ilanit’s daughter Coral died, and it is in her memory that the name of this Family Centre is planned. So my friend David Herman ha agreed to come on Tuesday July 2nd for a fund-raising music evening here on my mirpesset. He has even agreed to waive his fee as it’s my birthday the next day! We hope that everyone will come to do whether we can to help the Coral Family Centre along and also to make a donation, however small or great, to the Coral Family Centre!

DATE: TUESDAY JULY 2nd
TIME: 4.30 PM – SO ALL KIDS WELCOME!
PLACE: REHOV BAR COCHBA 95/8, FRENCH HILL – Gemma Blech: 02- 5827273 and 0544506483

About the Author
London-born David Herman came on aliyah in 1966 after graduating from Cambridge University. In the 1960s, he founded the Good Times Publishing Company specializing in publishing newspapers in simplified English, French and Arabic for the Israeli school system. David currenty works as a translator, and is also very active in the field of songwriting and performing under the musical name, David Ben Reuven.