2019 "All Rights Reserved" at the Jerusalem Cinematheque - SHEKEL awards outstanding employees in memory of Gideon Dror
"Everyone deserves the right to choose." With these words, SHEKEL chairman, Lihi Lapid, opened the 2019 "All Rights Reserved" SHEKEL staff awards and film event, in memory of Israeli film director, Gideon Drori. “Here, among people who have chosen SHEKEL, everyone can choose how they wish to live their lives.”
Hundreds of people who turned up for the event, applauded the screenings of six new films created by people with disabilities. The films were produced by SHEKEL's 'TV Team', a program run by video photographer Tal Pesses, at SHEKEL College. Josh Aronson, the TV Team's producer, described its impressive accomplishments. The audience was moved by the achievements of the four Gideon Drori Outstanding Staff Award recipients: Hagit Feinstein, therapist at the Tony Eliashar SHEKEL Therapeutic Center; Yael Stark, SHEKEL apartment facilitator; Rotem Lubiner of the SHEKEL autism center in Jerusalem, and Sarit Zionov of SHEKEL's sewing studio. An additional 'outstanding team' prize, was awarded to the Yuval apartment staff. The audience applauded Shiri Lankri, Shai Rahat, Amichai Shemba, Reut Cohen, Hai Nimni and Hannah Eliya.
Photographer Adena Levine touched the hearts of the audience, with the moving story behind her iconic photo of Uri z''l, Osnat and Gideon Drori's son, together with a SHEKEL volunteer. According to Adena "the photo simply doesn't capture the depth of feeling and communication I witnessed between Uri and the volunteer at that moment."
SHEKEL CEO, Clara Feldman, expressed her deep admiration for SHEKEL staff and the people with disabilities they serve. She stressed the vital importance of self-expression, independence, choice and personal development, in the lives of people with disabilities.
Osnat Drori, spoke of her husband Gideon's lasting legacy "as a moral compass and conscience fighting to change reality for people with disabilities." Drori spoke of their beloved son, Uri, who lived for many years in a SHEKEL apartment, "surrounded by warmth and love". She went on to speak of SHEKEL's work in "empowering people with special needs and enabling incredible creative development."
