Inspired by the spirit of the late Aner Shapira: "We took his values - and they will live forever"
The Aner Shapira Association, the "Roim Rahok" organization, and the Academy of Music and Dance are collaborating on a moving two-day art event in Jerusalem. The VERSE event, taking place on August 11 and 12, will feature leading artists such as Ninet Tayeb and Berry Sakharof alongside "Roim Rahok" graduates. In an interview, Aner's father, Moshe Shapira, shared his vision: "We want to create a diverse dialogue through music."
The art event VERSE, scheduled for August 11 and 12, is a unique collaboration between the Israel Festival, the Aner Shapira Association, the Roim Rahok organization (from Keshet), and the Academy of Music and Dance. In the heart of Jerusalem, screenings, talks, and performances will be held featuring artists such as Ehud Banai, Ninet, and Berry Sakharof — all in the spirit of Israel's hero Aner Shapira, of blessed memory, who saved many in the "shelter of death" on October 7.
In an interview with Yoav Limor and Nesli Barda, Aner's father, Moshe, along with singer and Roim Rahok graduate Berry Rosenthal, shared thoughts on the legacy that is transforming into a musical event.
"Aner wrote about everything: violence against women, the rift in society that pained him. The connection of an artist expressing a social statement should be part of Israeli society," he emphasized.
"Artists do not always want to lose audiences, and our goal is for artists to be social leaders. We want to create a diverse dialogue through music. Our activity reaches all audiences in Israeli society; every year we build a peak event, and this is the year. There will be Haredim, Arabs, the entire diversity of Israeli society. I wish that the general public would also come from all walks of life, and that will be a success. Mutual responsibility will be the commemoration for Aner," he continued.
When asked about dealing with the grief, Moshe noted:
"You go through moment by moment, it is constant. I have a belief that Aner is happy with what is being done here. We took his values, and they will have eternal life. These are values that Israeli society needs."
As part of the joint project, graduates will perform original songs written under the guidance of artistic director Ofer Kalaf. Berry Rosenthal, a graduate of the Roim Rahok group from Lod, who is currently studying at the Rimon School of Music, shared her excitement: "We are creating music together to talk and reach society. We have a sentence from what we sing: 'Looking for the way to the people.' We are looking for how to communicate, and every artist comes to be heard and make a change. We want value in our music to change things as Aner would have wanted."
The Roim Rahok organization, founded by Keshet, has been operating for over 20 years, driven by the belief that great artists are born everywhere. It identifies talented teenagers from underrepresented populations and accompanies them for years in the worlds of creation, acting, and music until their integration into the industry.
