Musicians in a Time of War
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Since October 7, there have been countless images and stories of resilience, support, and camaraderie in Israel. Among these images and stories are those of Israel’s musicians who are making their art and themselves available to those across the country, and the world. We continue to see Israel’s musicians reaching out to those seeking solace, advocating for those taken hostage, celebrating times of joy, and simply creating things of beauty in times of hardship. Below is merely a sampling of some of those songs and stories. Many of these performances are recorded on the musicians’ social media accounts.
October 25, 2023
Top Israeli Musicians, Ishay Ribo and Berry Sakharov, Hanan Ben Ari and Netta Barzilai, Harel Skaat, Shlomo Artzi and others compose new songs and perform old ones for the nation. Clips referenced in the article can be found below.
PERFORMANCES
October 18, 2023
Ishay Ribo, one of the most popular religious singers in Israel, continues to travel across different army bases, singing with the soldiers to lift their spirits.
October 17, 2023
Shlomo Artzi has been visiting hospitals and the homes of those sitting shiva, providing his music as some solace to those healing and in mourning. As Artzi said, “A song can’t heal pain, but it can show love and sympathy for this family that lost what’s more important than anything.”
October 15, 2023
In this clip, Netta sings at the home of the parents of Tuval Haim, her drummer, whose brother, Yotam Haim, also a drummer and resident of Kibbutz Kfar Aza, has been missing since October 7.
October 17, 2023
Berry Sakharoff, one of Israel’s most acclaimed rock musicians, performs at an IDF base on Shabbat.
October 23, 2023
Harel Skaat was recently visiting injured soldiers at Tel Hashomer hospital. During his visit, the sirens went off and he sang for the hospital visitors and patients in the shelter.
October 16, 2023
David Broza recently had a concert for soldiers in Ofakim. Before the show, he promised two soldiers who couldn’t attend that he’d come back. This clip of Broza and Osher Beniso singing Carole King’s “You’ve Got A Friend” went viral and resulted in Beniso receiving a NIS 30,000 annual scholarship to the Rimon Music School.
NEW SONGS
Doron Talmon, the lead singer of Jane Bordeaux, a band known for their American, folk-country style music in Hebrew and English wrote a new song, “Ha’etz Sh’baginah Shelanu,” meaning “Not Alone,” to help herself and others process the October 7 attacks. She opens with a brief poem about the range of emotions people are feeling in the wake of the attacks.
Atara Oryah released her song, “Forever,” dedicated to the police forces who fell trying to protect those in the cities and border communities attacked by terrorists on October 7.
Hanan Ben Ari released, “Birthplace,” a song that explores the ways in which Israelis have pulled together. As Ben Ari said, “This song is dedicated to my nation. Not the one that was here a week ago, the one that we’ll create again when all this is over.”
March 19, 2024
Alon Ohel, a talented young jazz pianist, was kidnapped from the Nova party on October 7th, and has been held hostage in Gaza ever since. His family has spent the months time since sending him good vibes and good music. In this episode, his mother, Idit Ohel, shares how she has been organizing concerts by some of Israel’s leading artists, in his honor to keep the hostages in the minds of the public in Israel and abroad.
October 23, 2023
The beloved musician has given over 50 concerts since the start of the war—in hotel lobbies, army bases, bomb shelters, kibbutz lawns, and even at the brit of a Kfar Aza baby.
Ivri Lider, one of Israel’s most prominent artists, and a leader in the LGBTQ+ community, performed this song at the funeral of Captain Sagi Golan, who was to marry his partner, Omer. He was killed a week before the wedding while fighting to fend off Hamas terrorists at Kibbutz Be’eri.
October 22, 2023
Ivri Lider, a prominent Israeli singer, reflects on his recent performances at funerals, hospitals, and before displaced people.
October 15, 2023
Omer Adam, the most popular singer in Israel today, performed in various army bases, putting on long performances and raising soldiers’ morale.
October 25, 2023
October 25 was World Opera Day. Instead of celebrating, members of the Israeli Opera sang a rendition of “Bring Him Home,” from Les Misérables, in a cry to support the efforts to free the Israeli children, women, men and, elderly who are being held hostage. Watch opera stars Anat Czarny and Oded Reich speak about their performance.
October 26, 2023
IPO likely reached more people than ever before in a concert honoring the victims of the October 7 massacre. The live broadcast “Salute to Israel,” was heard around the world.
