Aya Zahavi-Feiglin
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Artist Spotlight
INTRODUCTION
Mishenichnas Adar marbim b’simcha—“When the month of Adar arrives, we increase in joy.” But what happens when joy feels out of reach? The traditionally joyful spirit of Adar, the month in which Purim occurs, feels especially challenging in 2025. Singer-songwriter Aya Zahavi-Feiglin’s music has helped Israelis process a wide range of complicated emotions during this time of ongoing crisis. Her songs can give us and our learners a window into how we can experience resilience and joy even in the face of tragedy.
ABOUT THE ARTIST
Aya Zahavi-Feiglin is an Israeli singer-songwriter, born and raised in Hadera. Her journey in music began after overcoming bone cancer at age six, an experience that occasionally finds its way into her lyrics. Known for her unique vocal style and powerful songwriting, she has found healing through her music, particularly during the war period, where she dedicated songs to address the national trauma and help to heal the public’s wounds. Her recent work—including the powerful “Hey Sister,” released in March 2024—demonstrates her commitment to using music as a tool for collective healing and national unity during challenging times. Through her heartfelt lyrics and emotional performances, she continues to serve as a voice that helps process and express the complex emotions of a nation in times of crisis.
HERO | גיבור
The word hero has been frequently used to describe so many people in Israel since October 7, from soldiers to first responders, volunteers to professionals pressed into action, and ordinary people doing extraordinary things. But in “Hero,” Aya’s 2014 song, she reminds us that heroes aren’t just born in times of crisis. Heroes are made from everyday decisions to continue moving and continue trying, exemplifying our commitment and sense of responsibility toward doing what is needed from us.
HEY SISTER | היי אחות
After October 7, Aya spent months with dozens of fellow Israeli singers and musicians traveling the country to provide comfort and support to evacuees, soldiers, and all those impacted by the attacks. “Hey Sister” was born during those months of travel, as Aya and her fellow performers tried to help others heal. As she says in an interview, “It was as if, despite the inferno around us, I had a place in it all, and I could take it—the terrible thing that is happening—and put it into words and a melody.”
DISCUSSION QUESTIONS
1. What is the role of music in your life?
2. What feelings do the lyrics and music evoke for you?
3. What relationship do you see between joy and sadness in Aya’s music?
4. What does it mean to be a hero, according to Aya?
5. How does Aya’s identity as a woman inform her music?
THE LENS OF PURIM
In addition to joy and sadness, these songs highlight two more extremes ever-present in our lives. On the one hand, there is courage and resilience; these are the attributes exhibited by the hostages—both in captivity and upon their return—their families, soldiers, and all those who have and continue to project an image of strength for their loved ones. On the other hand is innocence and playfulness; these traits illustrate our fragile spirits, seen most vibrantly among the youth, but existing within each and every one of us. On Purim, we learn about a tragedy that could have spelled the end of Jewish history, but instead of mourning, we celebrate. We are able to do so because we hold dear to both courage and innocence, resilience and playfulness, sadness and joy.
In Megillat Esther, the story of Purim, Mordechai says to Esther:
“If you keep silent in this crisis, relief and deliverance will come to the Jews from another quarter, while you and your father’s house will perish. And who knows, perhaps you have attained to royal position for just such a crisis.”
Facing an existential threat, the Jewish people needed Esther to rise to the occasion and use her royal influence to convince Achashverosh of Haman’s deceit. In a moment of despair, Aya’s role was to play music and to bring joy to those beset by tremendous pain and uncertainty. Our role, as educators and human beings, is to bring people together, listen to and share stories, bear witness, support one another, speak out against hatred, and carry both our joy and sadness as equally essential parts of ourselves.
אולי יעניין אתכם גם
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