Concert hears Huck and Boteach before rain

The Israel Day Concert on Central Park’s SummerStage, which has followed the Celebrate Israel Parade each year since 1993, is known as “the concert with a message.”

This year’s concert was dedicated to the memory of Gilad Shaar hy”d, Naftali Frenkel hy”d, Eyal Yifrach hy”d, and all those who died al Kiddush Hashem (in sanctification of G-d’s name).

Following several musical segments, speakers presented religious and political themes, especially noting the strong support for Israel throughout the United States and the need to prevent Iran from gaining nuclear weaponry.

Ken Abramowitz, president of American Friends of Likud, discussed his warnings about threats to Western Civilization. Rabbi Shmuley Boteach exhorted the crowd with his usual dramatic eloquence.

The concert’s keynote speaker was former governor and recently declared Republican presidential candidate Mike Huckabee. His presence marks the first time that a declared candidate has appeared in the Concert’s 22 year history (he was scheduled prior to his candidacy declaration).

Huckabee has visited Israel 42 times — the first time when he was 17 years old — are is a strong pro-Israel advocate. He has been accompanied to Israel four times by Drs. Joseph R. Frager and Paul Brody, organizers of the concert. Gov. Huckabee articulated his strong positions on the need to maintain the American-Israeli alliance, insure the prevention of a nuclear-armed Iran, free Jonathan Pollard and halt the BDS movement.

Although the concert notice promised “Rain or Shine,” thunder and lightening were not among the acceptable weather conditions. What had begun as a gentle drizzle soon became a downpour — a deluge of momentous proportion.