Reservist's parents raise money for charity by offering downloads of son's music.
By YAEL WOLYNETZreserve soldiers 298.88(photo credit: Courtesy)
A Beit Shemesh couple has come up with a creative way to help residents of the North. Avraham and Miriam Deutsch are raising money for charity by offering downloads of their soldier son's music at AmericanChayal.org in return for a small donation.
Elie Deutsch, 21, has been serving in the Artillery Corps for the past 16 months under the hesder program, which combines Torah studies with military service. He was supposed to complete his army service in mid-July, but was called back to his unit near Kiryat Shmona when the war against Hizbullah broke out.
Deutsch had been looking forward to working on his music and completing his first Jewish album after being released from the army. However, the outbreak of the war has delayed his plans.
Elie's parents decided to try to use their son's music to raise spirits in face of the current violence.
"The project came about in a rather casual way. We were sitting around with a group of neighbors trying to figure out what we could do to help the situation," Avraham Deutsch said.
"The Web site is a combined effort of many people's talents in Web design, content writing, fundraising, Web hosting, and of course Elie's musical talents," he said.
Asked about his son's response to donating his music while he was on the northern front, Avraham said Elie was thrilled to share his music and looked at it as a way to promote his upcoming album.
The project was organized in less than three days, with members of the Bet Shemesh community working around the clock.
The volunteers used e-mail to spread word of the initiative throughout the United States.
"People have been passing it on to their friends and the project itself has taken on its own life," Avraham Deutsch said.
He told The Jersualem Post he was sure the project had generated thousands of dollars in donations since the Web site was launched on Thursday, although the precise total was unknown. The money is being donated to various charities, including Leman Achai, a Bet Shemesh-based organization that helps families in need.
Avraham Deutsch said the name "AmericanChayal" (American soldier) was chosen because "the project was designed to target the American community specifically" and because "Elie, who made aliya when he was eight years old, still has some US in him."
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