MUSIC SCHOLARSHIPS
The Benefits of Music
Participating in music classes, group activities (bands, ensembles, orchestras, choral groups) and attending musical performances provide countless benefits -- among them recreational, educational, social, and cultural enrichment to an under-served population -namely children, teens, adults, and senior citizens living in the periphery.
In the aftermath of October 7, when “They tried to take the music away from us,” our answer is that we will sing and dance on.” By providing music programs and performance experiences in the Israel Envelope we can make a difference in so many young lives. To quote JNF-USA President Dr. Sol Lizerbram, “we will replace the sound of rockets with the sound of music.”
Additionally, there is a need for quality musical instruments, and professional and knowledgeable music staff. Due to the remote location, a limited number of music teachers are currently teaching. Hiring musicians and teachers from the central part of the country can be expensive. Government funds are limited in providing subsidies to music schools and parents.
The concept of combining the strengths of all three areas is sound and practical. As JNF-USA CEO Russell Robinson has remarked in the past, Sderot, Eshkol and Sha’ar HaNegev are stronger when they work together. Joining the C. Hugh Friedman Music Room in Sderot with the already existing music programs in Sha’ar HaNegev and the music School in Eshkol will empower all the teachers and enrich the education of all musicians in the area.
This proposed Tri- Regional Music Consortium will set an example for others throughout Israel to follow, demonstrating the maximizing of talent, assets, funds, supplies, and staff throughout the Envelope.
While residents on the border describe life as 95% Heaven and 5% Hell, the one thing they can count on during the 5% is the voice that music gives them. Music is mighty and powerful in the role it plays in everyone’s lives.
“Music is a therapy. It is a communication far more powerful than words, far more immediate, far more efficient.” Yehudi Menuhin