Idan Raichel

If you heard there was an artist in Israel whose grandparents were all Russian and whose first instrument was the accordion, Idan Raichel is probably not the first person who would pop into your head. On February 28, I had the incredible pleasure of meeting Idan (I think we’re on a first-name basis at this point…after all, I did introduce myself to him as Ben) when the Idan Raichel Project performed for over 2,500 MASA participants in Jerusalem.

Before the concert, I wandered around backstage (it’s good to be a VIP!) and poked my head into the room where the “Project” portion of the Idan Raichel Project was hanging out. I started up a conversation with the singers, including the beautiful Cabra Casey, which eventually led to a heated debate over where the best hummus spot in Israel is. It was decided that the best hummus is definitely in Yaffo (in Jaffa, the small, mostly Arab city just south of Tel Aviv), but a fierce debate broke out when most people chose Abu-Hassan as the best restaurant, while Casey tried to defend her choice of Humus Asli. You can rest assured that I will visit both eateries with a trustworthy food expert and come back with a full report.

After the incredible concert, I tried to set up a one-on-one interview with Idan but instead had to settle for sitting in on a Q&A session with MASA participants who were studying at the Ramon School of Music in Herzliya and the Bezalel Academy of Art and Design in Jerusalem. While I didn’t get to ask him whether he would sell some of his dreadlocks for tzedakah (charity) or what his favorite restaurant in Israel is, I did learn about Idan’s philosophy on music and how closely it relates to his philosophy on life.

Coming from Russian grandparents, Idan’s first instrument was the accordion—which he describes as the “not-coolest instrument ever”—and he admits that he still remembers many of the old Red Army songs he learned as a youth. Luckily for the Israeli music world (The Idan Raichel Accordion Project just wouldn’t have sounded the same), he picked up piano in high school and later found his true passion in music production.

Through his passion for music production and cultural music fusion, Idan has worked with an astounding range of artists, including Ethiopians, Arabs and Colombians, all of various ages ranging from just out of high school to 82 years old. In fact, over 70 artists appear on his two-volume Project CD. Despite such diverse backgrounds, Idan insists that “we don’t really notice that we’re different—we’re all Israelis first. It’s when we go outside of Israel that we become more aware of our differences.”

Struck by this comment, I asked Idan how he felt about the Jewish Diaspora, particularly concerning the audience he just played for—all young Jews who decided to come to Israel for a semester or a year on a MASA program.

“I have to admit, my first meetings with Jews outside of Israel were a bit embarrassing,” he responded. “I couldn’t figure out who these people were, talking Hebrew to me in weird accents, who had more knowledge about Judaism, Jewish history and Zionism than most Israelis I know. It showed me for the first time the power of the Jewish world in the Diaspora. It’s important for Jews from outside of Israel to come here to strengthen their ties to Israel and Israelis.”

Preaching aliyah, however, was not Idan’s mantra. “It’s easy for us here in Israel to say that anyone outside of Israel is only pretending to be Zionist if they do not come and live here, but in reality, keeping our Jewish and Zionist roots, as well as our political influences around the world, is incredibly important.”

It was at about that moment that Idan’s manager stepped in; Idan told us as he was leaving that he was going to Australia (the sixth continent he’s performed on!) in two days to tour there for “a while.” When I asked him what it’s like to be on tour so often, Idan replied, “The truth is, I don’t really like to travel, but I have nothing else to do.”

Ben Freed is a 19-year-old from Ann Arbor, Mich. He enjoys long walks on the beach, candle-lit dinners and Marvin Gaye music. He always abides by his credo of “Love, Peace and Zionism.”