The air inside Bialik 26 was thick with excitement. It was May 2018, seven years before the world as we knew it would fracture on October 7, and the popular Be\u2019er Sheva neighborhood spot was packed to the brim. That night, the student cafe was the beating heart of the city\u2019s queer community. Everyone was crammed shoulder-to-shoulder, eyes glued to the glowing screens broadcasting the world\u2019s largest music competition, the Eurovision Song Contest.<\/p>\n
Netta Barzilai was onstage singing \u201cToy,\u201d an unapologetic, feminist anthem wrapped in quirky pop brilliance and thousands of shining lucky cats (see them in all their magnificence here<\/a>). When the final votes came in and Israel was declared the winner, the whole place burst into tears and cheers.<\/p>\n We couldn\u2019t believe it had actually happened. Israel had won the contest exactly 20 years after its last win in 1998!<\/p>\n It was one of the most powerful, unforgettable moments of my life. That night, the entire country felt unified in an overwhelming wave of pure, unadulterated joy.<\/p>\n The Reality of Being a Shlicha Today<\/p>\n Fast forward to nearly a year ago, when I packed up my life in Israel and moved to the U.S. to begin as a shlicha (Israeli emissary) at The Jewish Federation of Greater Washington. At a time when so many are navigating their relationship with Israel, Federation\u2019s shlichim program<\/a> brings Israelis into local classrooms, synagogues, and living rooms, creating a space for real conversation and connection.<\/p>\n Shortly after I arrived, I quickly realized that being an Israeli emissary today looks radically different than it did in the past. In our post-October 7 reality, discussions about Israel and Jewish life are heavier, more emotional, and infinitely more complex. At the same time, they are deeply rooted in something essential: Jewish peoplehood, shared identity, and joy.<\/p>\n From the beginning, I felt a strong responsibility to show up for difficult conversations about Israel wherever they happened. But, over time, I\u2019ve come to understand that my role is also to offer something broader, to reflect the full story of Israel and the Jewish people. Not only complexity and challenge, but also resilience, pride, and (even) fun.<\/p>\n That understanding came together this month in a very natural way with one of the most unifying cultural moments in Jewish and Israeli life-Eurovision season!<\/p>\n For anyone here in America, you might not have even heard of Eurovision, or maybe you\u2019re just noticing it pop up on your feeds now that it\u2019s finally having a breakout moment on TikTok. But in Israel? It\u2019s like the Super Bowl, but for musicians. It\u2019s a massive song contest combining fierce cultural pride, voting drama, and representation on the global stage.<\/p>\n With Israel proudly taking home second-place just last week, it was the perfect moment for me to help our Greater Washington community look at Israel through a different soundtrack.<\/p>\n A Nation\u2019s Story, Written in Song<\/p>\n Ever since October 7, it is incredibly easy for our relationship with Israel to be entirely defined by trauma, crisis, and anxiety. But relationships can\u2019t survive on the negative. If we only look at Israel through the lens of heartbreak, we lose sight of the very thing we are trying to protect.<\/p>\n Through Federation\u2019s Hands On Israel workshops, I get to move past headlines and bring the real, lived reality of my home directly into local spaces. Over the past few weeks, I traveled across multiple communities in Greater Washington, using the lens of Eurovision to open a portal into Israeli society.<\/p>\n I shared how Israel celebrated its first historic win in 1978 with Izhar Cohen\u2019s \u201cA Ba Ni Bi\u201d just five years after we entered the contest in 1973. Then, just a year later in 1979, \u201cHallelujah\u201d captured the magic of hosting the contest in Jerusalem for the first time, launching us to a back-to-back victory. By 1983, the tone shifted to one of profound historical weight, when Ofra Haza sang \u201cChai\u201d (alive) defiantly in Munich, Germany. The song became a breathtaking symbol of Jewish resilience in the shadow of a horrifying past.<\/p>\n As the decades marched on, the music mirrored a rapidly modernizing society. In 1998, Dana International\u2019s historic win with \u201cDiva\u201d reflected a 1990s Israel that was embracing groundbreaking LGBTQ+ inclusion, female empowerment, and cultural openness.<\/p>\n Twenty years later, that legacy of radical representation culminated in Netta\u2019s \u201cToy,\u201d bringing a bold, global feminist voice back to the stage that I felt reverberate firsthand that night at Bialik 26.<\/p>\n The most recent chapters of our Eurovision journey allowed us to share the raw, immediate grief of our current era on the global stage. Eden Golan\u2019s \u201cHurricane\u201d in 2024 is deeply tied to the post-October 7 reality, capturing a nation\u2019s immediate trauma and its stubborn insistence on standing tall despite the storm. The music looks forward with \u201cA New Day Will Rise\u201d in 2025, speaking directly to our collective yearning for renewal and rebuilding.<\/p>\n And just a week ago, we were able to experience the thrill in real time, as we listened to Noam Bettan capture hearts across the world (and a second-place win) with his powerful song, \u201cMichelle.\u201d<\/p>\n Shared Identity Over Debate<\/p>\n One of the most moving parts of this journey was watching the transformation inside the rooms here in Greater Washington. Across different synagogues, community centers, and living rooms, local American Jews and Israeli expats sat together in the same space. This kind of programming creates an exciting entry point into Jewish peoplehood. It moves the conversation into the heart, allowing people to connect emotionally. I am so grateful to be part of this work and to Federation for making this, and so many other meaningful Israel programs, available right here in our region.<\/p>\n Looking back at that euphoric night in Be\u2019er Sheva in 2018, I am reminded that joy is a form of resilience. And as I continue my work here, I carry that music with me, always hoping, of course, to one day bring the trophy home again.<\/p>\n Interested in bringing similar experiential Israel education to your local community? Check out Federation\u2019s Hands On Israel workshops<\/a> to get started.<\/p>\n