Celebrities Join Global Shabbat Party For Children With Special Needs
People from around the world are invited to join children, teens and adults with special needs for a virtual, star-studded Global Shabbat Party on Thursday, June 11, at 7PM East Coast time. The event was created to help ease the isolation families who have children with special needs feel as they remain at home due to Covid-19 even as restrictions are lifting in many places.
The broadcast, to stream live at www.GlobalShabbatParty.com, will feature Howie Mandel and America’s Got Talent winner and master pianist Kodi Lee, who is blind and has autism, and comedian Lee Ridley, aka Britain’s Got Talent winner The Lost Voice Guy, who uses a device to speak. Both men utilize their unique abilities to shine light on their talents and bring smiles to others.
“I look forward to everyone meeting my friend Kodi Lee and hearing him perform,” said comedian, actor and television host Howie Mandel. “While Kodi is legally blind and has autism, he doesn’t let that stop him from sharing his amazing musical talent with the world.”
Actress Mayim Bialik will be hosting the first-ever international Shabbat candle-lighting, beginning in New Zealand and concluding in Alaska. Says Mayim, ““I’m excited for the chance to connect with people across the world who share a passion for making the world a better place,” said actress, neuroscientist and author Mayim Bialik. “It’s a beautiful way to light the Shabbat candles together to illuminate these dark days.”
Celebrities taking part in the global event include comedian Elon Gold, basketball stars Scottie Pippin, Omri Casspi and other NBA Legends.
Special Shabbat songs written especially for the program and will be performed during the event.
“Despite the challenges of doing production during a pandemic, we were able to put together a great lineup of talent and content, through comedy, music and animation,” said the program’s producer Chaim Marcus. “The celebrities we reached out to were so impressed with the program that they went above and beyond and are doing what they can to help.”
Sponsored by Friendship Circle, a project of Chabad-Lubavitch, the Global Shabbat Party will bring families together, virtually, to celebrate the joy of Shabbat in their own homes, and help them ease the isolation they feel amidst the pandemic.
“The Lubavitcher Rebbe, Rabbi Menachem M. Schneerson, of righteous memory, often spoke about the beautiful unique abilities individuals with ‘special’ needs have. Similarly, there is nothing more beautiful than the light Shabbat brings into the world each week. Knowing that we could all use a little more comfort, beauty and light in our lives, what better way to celebrate Shabbat and Friendship Circle than to share our Global Shabbat Party with the world,” said Rabbi Zalman Grossbaum, CEO of Friendship Circle New Jersey and LifeTown.
Chabad centers and Friendship Circle branches worldwide will have Shabbat kits available for members of their community who are looking to bring the joy of Shabbat into their homes.
Learn more about the event at www.GlobalShabbatParty.com.
