2001
On January 3, 2001, it was announced in the news that Michael Jackson would attend a Valentine’s Day ceremony at Carnegie Hall in New York to raise financial support for his new charity, «Heal The Kids».
For Michael Jackson fans, 2001 began with a major event. But the more interesting news was announced on January 9: ”On March 6, Michael will deliver a speech at the Oxford Union together with Rabbi Shmueli Batiche, the man who has shaken the foundations of the Jewish people on both sides of the Atlantic Ocean. At the same ceremony, they will announce the reopening date of the «Heal The Kids» charity.“
The next surprising piece of news in late January 2001 was: ”Michael will take part in the tenth annual ”Michael Jackson Day“ celebration hosted by Adrienne Grant, one of Michael’s fans, on March 7, 2001, in London.“
This would be Michael’s first appearance at a celebration hosted by fans.
February 14, the Valentine’s Day everyone had been waiting for, arrived. The ceremony that was to be held that day at Carnegie Hall in New York was of great importance to Michael Jackson, Rabbi Shmueli Batiche, Love’s mother, Dr. Drew Pinski, Dr. Stanley Greenspan, Judith Regan[publisher], Jani Ketchran[agent], Mark L. Walberg [host of Temptation Island], as well as fans who had traveled to New York from all over the world to attend the event.
[Michael – Love’s mother]
The discussion topic for introducing «Heal The Kids», Michael Jackson and Rabbi Shmueli Batiche’s new charity, was: ”Love, work, and parenting: Can you succeed both at home and at work?“
[Michael Jackson – Rabbi Shmueli Batiche]
Rabbi Shmueli Batiche introduced the «Heal The Kids» charity like this:
”The innovative «Heal The Kids» foundation is designed to protect us from the worst hells we might get trapped in: a life in which, even though you are among people, you feel lonely. A life in which your children do not talk to you about the concepts of life, but instead see you as a piggy bank for their PlayStation games. A life in which the television constantly speaks in place of your soul. A life in which shopping for you comes before playing with your children. A life in which searching the internet for you is more important than searching the hearts of your loved ones.
Who would have believed that one day parents would get tired of their children’s dependence on imaginary television films like Star Wars and The Wizard of Oz?
Have you ever heard of escaping your children’s world, while in reality you take refuge in someone else’s?
We are talking about depriving children of their basic rights: the right to be loved without having to earn it. The right to be admired without having done anything.“
Rabbi Shmueli Batiche, who had founded the «Heal The Kids» foundation the previous year together with Michael Jackson, invited Michael onstage with these words:
”Real Michael Jackson hasn’t become famous for his dancing in Monaco. He is famous for his love of children.“
Michael Jackson, in his introduction of «Heal The Kids» said:
”Tonight, we are here. In the world’s most famous concert hall, to listen to a kind of music that is completely different. A melody worth praising... This is the music I’m talking about—more tuneful than the thousands of voices that have come together to sing a hymn. The echo of this song is more powerful than the sound of all the percussion instruments played together...
This song is the beautiful song of love. A song that has been left to be forgotten.
Instead of conversations around the dinner table, the noise of video games fills the home. Instead of the talk between parents and their children about the problem of drugs and violence, the deafening sound of silence is heard.
Who would have believed that in playgrounds, instead of children’s voices, the sound of automatic rifles would be heard? Who would have believed that the frantic screams of children, as they run from bullets, would replace the sound of little girls’ voices while playing jump rope? And yet, instead of loving our children more, we use metal detector devices in schools.
I, who am myself a father of two children, know what it means to balance the needs of the family and work. Even let’s not talk about finding someone for myself. Rabbi Shmueli keeps telling me that he will find a perfect woman for me. And my answer is: as long as she isn’t a reporter.“
[Carnegie Hall]
Love’s mother, who was visibly crying during Michael’s speech, talked about her twenty-eight years of married life. And Regan also described the hardships of being a mother.