"My dream," a performance given by disabled Chinese performers at the Tel Aviv Opera House late Saturday night, tugs at the heartstrings of local audiences.

"It's amazing. Their spirit is stronger than the body," said Nava Swersky said of the performance staged by the China Disabled People's Art Troupe.

"It is hard to choose which program is the most impressive. Both the singing and dancing are spectacular and emotionally moving," she told Xinhua during the interval.

Coming to watch the show with her family, Nava said she was amazed at the Chinese singers' rendition of classic Hebrew songs.

She was particularly impressed by Yang Haitao, a visually impaired Chinese singer, who sang "Latet (to give)" in Hebrew. "It is even better than the original. The voice, the Hebrew pronunciation and the rhythm are perfect."

A 13-member orchestra moved the audience with their performance of Chinese and Western music on both traditional Chinese instruments, including the erhu, pi-pa, zither, bamboo flute and drums, and Western instruments such as saxophone and clarinet. The audience clapped their hands to the music and some even sang in a low voice.

"My Dream" is part of the "Experience China in Israel" event, which also includes a film week, photo exhibitions, performances by the Beijing Modern Dance Company and a symposium. The event will last till the end of this month.

Jointly held by China's State Council Information Office and the Israeli Foreign Ministry, the event is dedicated to celebrating the 60th anniversary of the founding of the People's Republic of China and the 17th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between China and Israel.

At the opening ceremony of the event before the show, Israeli President Shimon Peres said he has watched the performance of the disabled on TV before and it radiates the most unbelievable sense of beauty in the world.

The performers "make the unbelievable believable," Peres said. Although China is a large country and Israel is a small one, "when it comes to dream, they are of the same size," he added.

Wang Cheng, minister in charge of China's State Council Information Office, said the largest cultural exchange event ever held between the two countries will open a new window for Israelis to get a closer look at China from different angles and perspectives.

Sarit Novak, a 28-year-old financial advisor and life insurance agent working with Menora, the biggest insurance company in Israel, said after the performance: "Everybody has his own dream. The hard thing is how to make the dream real. They realize their dreams through perseverance and adamancy. They should come to Israel again to teach more people how to realize their dreams."

For years, these disabled performers have taken "My Dream" to more than 60 countries around the world to show their unique talents and their love and passion for art and culture.

When 21 hearing impaired dancers performed their repertoire, the dance "Thousand-hand Bodhisattva" assisted by two sign language conductors, the audience was touched by their synchronized movement perfectly to the music.

Lian Schubert, a 20-something dancer with blond curls, said she was most fascinated by the "Thousand-hand Bodhisattva" dance, which she said was "unique and fantastic."

"They did the unbelievable and they danced as if they were not disabled," said Schubert, who came to the performance with her father after seeing the fore notice on TV.

An old couple named Atzmon and Osnat, who spent a month travelling in China five years ago, said they loved dance and Chinese music very much, particularly the dance "Butterfly Lovers."

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