Jerusalem flash mob, Sunday
צילום: Yissachar Ruas
Flash mob raises awareness to diabetes
Parents of child diagnosed with disease organize impromptu dance at Jerusalem's Central Bus Station
Jerusalem’s Central Bus Station food court was momentarily transformed into the scene of one of the city’s latest flash mob dance crazes at noon Sunday, all in the name of promoting diabetes awareness.
Organized in conjunction with an international effort for World Diabetes Day, which saw identical dances in cities across the globe, the Jerusalem event was initiated by Miriam and Yaron Marcus of Beit Shemesh, whose son Shachi was diagnosed with the condition in 2009.
Since that time, Shachi’s parents have been working to highlight public awareness with the hope that greater awareness and public concern will eventually lead to a cure and better services for those with the disease.
'Having fun for a great cause' (Photo: Yissachar Ruas)
“This flash mob is a welcome way to get people talking about and understanding the challenges that come for diabetes sufferers, particularly for young children,” Miriam says.
“But the reality is that there have been significant developments in researching the disease and we have considerable hope that a cure is obtainable in the years ahead.”
The flash mob, an increasingly popular form of spontaneous dancing amongst a large group of people, was to the tunes of Michael Jackson’s famed hit "Beat It" and dancers, some professional and some less so, have been rehearsing choreographed moves in advance of the big event.
“While this disease is quite serious, this is a chance to get out with friends and have fun for a great cause,” Miriam says. “We’re quite sure that this event will bring a great smile to the faces of Jerusalemites and hopefully help many people like Shachi in the years ahead.”
