Breaking new ground on the airwaves

Anyone listening to Radio FM 106 in Jerusalem last Wednesday at 6 P.M. would have heard a program about Tu Bishvat - Jewish Arbor Day - which falls on Tuesday. Yosef Haim Harar explained the significance of this festival during the current shmitta, the sabbatical year, when the land lies fallow and trees are left unpruned. Debby Caspi offered a recipe for roast beef with dried fruit; Idan Mizrahi talked about the importance of recycling; and musical editor Shay Asulin played Israeli folk music.

The whole program was orchestrated by Motti Francis, a local radio star who likes to make history. In recent years he has moderated a monthly show, of which this was one, for people with special needs, and presented by seven mentally challenged individuals. Some of the guests on the show are similarly disabled.

The program's staff works with the special-needs department of the Jerusalem Municipality, which provides leisure and enrichment services for disabled children and youth. Harar and Mizrahi are also actively involved in other, similar projects.

In previous years the show was also broadcast on Radio Jerusalem, but Francis feels that the program loses its special character when presented in a commercial format, and says it belongs on Israel Radio's community station.

"There is something innocent and genuine about this hour-long show," he says.

Each of the seven regular participants on the program has his own spot. Sivan Cohen is in charge of culture. Last week he spoke about belly dancing and encouraged listeners to try it. Cohen's partner, Sahar Pik, spoke about the different characteristics of the date, raisin and fig. Caspi, who is blind, is the show's cooking expert. Etti Anaza reads news items. Last week she also invited listeners to join a dating club. Anaza, who suffered brain damage at age four, also helps with the show's production, by telephoning the people Francis wants to interview during the program in advance. For the Tu Bishvat program, Anaza called Dudu Ashkenazi, project coordinator for the Jewish National Fund, and Zivit Linder of the Environmental Protection Ministry. Each of the seven presenters asks the interviewees a question prepared beforehand.

With them in the studio is Hila Suissa, an assistant from the municipal special-needs department, who encourages the presenters, stroking one who dropped his written text, helping another whose headset slipped off. The musical editor needs no assistance. Asulin issues instructions to the technician, and gives him a 3-second warning before the end of each song.

'Beautiful country'

"Our country is so beautiful," Asulin says, as he introduces the next song, "At yafa kol kach" ("You are so Beautiful") by Idan Yaniv. Asulin dances to the beat of the songs and tells those seated in the studio that even though he works as a courier for a law office, he used to be a deejay and always dreamed of being a musical editor for radio programs.

Francis says that the program and all the preparation for it each time - like the friendships he has developed with the presenters - is very gratifying and enervating. He hugs them and shares secrets with them.

For Pik, who works in a medical equipment stock room or the Yad Sarah nonprofit organization, and who served as a volunteer in the Israel Defense Forces, once a month is not enough. He would like to be on radio once a week.