The following announcement was provided by the concert organizers:
The Light of Palestine concert that took place at First Parish of Watertown on December 18 raised $8,800 for humanitarian aid to people in Gaza. The funds supported Anera, a U.S.-based nonprofit with no political or religious affiliations. Anera will use the funds to provide meals, water, shelter, and medicine to those affected by the ongoing war.
The concert was sold out, and access to the livestream was purchased by more than thirty households.
Artistic director Lina Malshy selected a program of songs from her native Palestine and neighboring countries, ranging from traditional folk tunes like “Ala Dal’ona” to present-day popular songs such as “Mawjou Qalbi.”
Malshy confessed, “This concert was one of the most nerve-wracking experiences I’ve had as an artist and director. The weight of responsibility was immense—to deliver a performance of exceptional quality, to represent my people, my culture, and our collective pain in a way that touches hearts, and to connect with a diverse audience.” But, she continued, “as we began playing, all the nerves disappeared, and I was fully immersed in the music.”
The audience responded with exuberant applause and some tears. Concert attendee Izzy Tappan-deFrees described the music as “gorgeous” and “both healing and awakening to the beautiful, resilient culture and people being attacked in Gaza.”
Tappan-deFrees, a member of First Parish of Watertown, and Reverend Sophia Lyons were instrumental in offering the church as a venue for the concert. Reverend Lyons also spoke of the concert as a healing experience: “In the face of the atrocities taking place in Gaza, it’s easy to feel utterly powerless on this side of the world. The ‘light’ that this concert brought to Watertown was a profound feeling of community–the music opened our hearts, blessed our sanctuary, and reminded me that we really are connected in our humanity. It was an evening of hope, healing, resilience, and love. I will never forget it.”
After the final song, audience members lingered to enjoy a reception with treats provided by Arax Market, Sevan Bakery, and Massis Bakery. “I was very moved to have support from those Watertown businesses,” shared Alyssa Lawson, the concert coordinator. ““It felt like our whole community was lifting us up.”
The ensemble included three vocalists, violin, cello, percussion, flute, nay, qanun, oud, piano, and accordion. All of the musicians donated their time. Several video clips from the performance are available on the concert’s Instagram account, @Light.of.Palestine (https://www.instagram.com/light.of.palestine/).
As the crisis in Gaza continues, Anera is one of the few organizations on the ground delivering meals, blankets, water, hygiene kits, health clinics, learning spaces, and psychosocial sessions to those in need. To make a donation, please visit www.anera.org.
Malshy, the artistic director, is preparing to relocate to Los Angeles, where she will work in the field of film scoring. A GoFundMe campaign has been started in her honor to allow her to complete her college tuition payments and cover her moving expenses. The campaign can be viewed here: https://gofund.me/8797e521