By Cherie Gans
The North State Redding area is to be commended for supporting a huge fundraiser at St. James Lutheran Church on September 5 to benefit the starving people of Gaza.
Musicians came from as far as Hayfork, Chico, and Mount Shasta to join about 50 other performers to present a four-hour concert/fundraiser that raised money to send food, water and aid to the people of Gaza.
The St. James Lutheran Church volunteered to be the venue. One gentleman brought his 1000-piece jewelry collection for donations. The First United Methodist Church’s Anti-Racism Task Force cooked and gave out food for donations. The pastor of the Pilgrim Congregational Church pastor was the MC. The Imam of the Islamic Center of Redding offered prayers in Arabic. A klezmer band played, and songs were sung in Hebrew and Yiddish. The New Harvest Baptist choir and the Methodist choir sang. Individuals brought brownies and goodwill throughout the evening, where the audience was free to enter and leave between performances. Every musician donated time, training and money. Every onlooker gave their donation and enthusiasm.
What a community effort! At no point was there any animosity or threat. In Redding, even when I wear my 15-year-old “Free Palestine” shirt, no one voices any ill will. Would that the world could function like this, with harmony and joy, but still with concern for its downtrodden.
Something never voiced out loud at the fundraiser was the awful truth: Gaza is suffering from a manmade famine, where 2 million people have been cut off from leaving or entering, and now are being bombed to rubble. At no point was Gaza, just about 25 miles by 6 miles, able to feed itself. Rather, people were just herded there from other parts of the Holy Land. How many trucks with food are needed to feed 2 million people in the largest “prison” in the world? Those in power are doing it, with the USA’s blessing. How can we condone this?
I hope to see people of goodwill by the thousands telling our government, “Stop the bombs, stop the imprisonment!” Free Palestine and free Gaza. All people of the world should be free.
Congratulations, North State. You are a model of collaboration and goodwill.
Cherie Gans
Redding, California
