To mark the 31st anniversary of Shalva, an Israeli organization that works on behalf of people with disabilities, American Friends of Shalva recently held their annual gala.
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This year's event made a nod to the Middle East peace process of this past year, with the Shalva musical group, along with the Jerusalem Symphony Orchestra, performing Simon and Garfunkel's "Bridge Over Troubled Waters" with a group of musicians from the United Arab Emirates.
The special rendition, performed online, was sung in English, Hebrew, and Arabic. Emirati Singer Tariq Al Menhali took part in the musical gesture.
Guest of honor, His Excellency Yousef Al Otaiba, the Emirati Ambassador to the US, said it was a "great honor" to take part in the event honoring 31 years since Shalva was founded. Otaiba is also one of the architects of the Abraham Accords, and along with officials in the UAE and Bahrain is promoting programs modeled after Shalva to help children with disabilities.
The ambassador said that the UAE shared Shalva's "unwavering commitment" to improving the lives of people with disabilities, noting that in the Emirates, individuals with mental or other special needs were called "determined," a recognition of their achievements in various fields.
Otaiba said that the special rendition of the Simon and Garfunkel classic showed how "we must continue to work together" regardless of nationality, religion, or culture.
Shalva founder Kalman Samuels said that the gala event had made its theme "Building Bridges to the Future" in order to reflect the way in which Shalva inspires society to be more accepting, build bridges between people with disabilities and the community, with special emphasis on the relations that recently opened between Israel and the Arab world as a result of the Abraham Accords.
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