Showing posts with label Orphans. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Orphans. Show all posts

April 7, 2019

@Strathmore With Violin Virtuoso Zoltan Maga





Nice time today at Strathmore Concert Hall. 

Listened to beautiful music by Violin Virtuoso Zoltan Maga and The Budapest Gypsy Orchestra.

Zoltan was amazing and he played the violin with expertise that I have rarely seen in my life.

It was as of the violin literally came alive in his hands.

His son, Zoltan, Jr. also played wonderfully and seems to be a "chip off the old block."

I was pleasantly surprised to hear Zoltan and the orchestra play a pretty mean Hava Nagillah!

Also, the Hungarian Ambassador was there to welcome Zoltan. 

It was beautiful at the end when they told how Zoltan does many charity concerts and donates hundreds of thousands of dollars to needy orphan homes. 

I shook Zoltan's hand, but I could tell he was very protective of his magic hands.

Truly, he is a master and you can see the skill from Hashem in him--it was amazing. ;-)

(Source Photo: Andy and Dossy Blumenthal)

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September 9, 2013

Remember Those With Special Needs

This was an interesting sign at the swimming pool about handling sensitive gender issues with children.

The sign tells parents of "opposite gender children," over age 5, not to take them in the locker room with them.

Instead they are told to use a separate locker room for "special needs."

Then underneath, in the lower right corner, someone wrote in pen (it's light, so you may not be able to read it), "Ok, but then enforce handicapped changing room!!"

Having an accident recently and being on crutches and then a cane, I myself have developed a whole new awareness for how difficult the mundane can be. 

When I asked the doctor, why so-and-so happened to me, he said, "you're not getting any younger!"

It was really a wake up call for me. 

We don't always think of all the various special needs out there: people with handicaps, illnesses, and injuries of all sorts (physical, emotional, etc.), issues related to aging, single parents, orphaned children, people taking care of young children and/or aging parents, people newly divorced or bereaving, people out of work or "simply" changing careers or perhaps moving or even immigrating, and many more.  

There are so many situations which can create special needs for people. 

Often at work, I see announcements for groups that help people undergoing various life changes--creating these special needs. I glance at the information about the group meetings, but usually don't have or take the time to fully stop and really think about what these all mean for people and how it impacts them--both their personal lives and their professional ones. 

Seeing the signage reminding people to use special locker rooms when they need to deal discretely with children of the opposite sex or for changing rooms for those with disabilities...it was just another jolt for me to think of others and help them whenever possible. 

Sometimes when I see someone who is old or disabled going slowly down the street, I think to myself--even though I may be in hurry--that I should slow down and not pass them quickly, so as not to make them feel bad--and now when I broke my ankle, I realized it was my turn and had to go slow.

Everyone goes through times when they have special needs. 

The key is when we aren't special needs for a moment in time that we remember how fortunate we are and that everything is temporary--both good and bad. 

(Source Photo: Andy Blumenthal)
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