Shlomo Artzi
Music

In American life, it's common to have limited exposure to iconic Jewish musicians from Israel due to assimilation.

I was first exposed to the music of Shlomo Artzi in my younger years while flipping through satellite channels on television. The Jewish Life Television (JLTV) channel happened to be playing one of his music videos, and it caught my attention. His folk-rock vibe is distinct, and YouTube's autoplay algorithm would randomly treat me to more of his music over the past decade. His career spans over half a century and is considered one of the most successful in Israel.

In December 2023, his music entered my life again in a profoundly emotional way. The zeitgeist was filled with heartbreak following the October 7 attacks and the unease of hostages in captivity. Israeli ground forces entered Gaza on October 27, 2023, and experienced the horrors of urban warfare. My Israeli social media circle was full of images of fallen IDF soldiers, mourning families, and communities.

I saw a shared video of a soldier on leave singing in his mother's arms with friends a few weeks before his death in Gaza on December 26, 2023. They were singing תתארו לכם (Imagine Yourselves) by Shlomo Artzi. The song lyrics begin with: “Imagine yourselves a beautiful world. Less sad than it is...” The video is a human and cultural moment that reflects intertwined emotions of history, sacrifice, community, and survival.

The soldier’s name is Shaul Greenglick z"l. He was a 26-year-old officer in the Nahal Brigade’s 931st Battalion and an aspiring singer. On December 3, 2023, while on furlough, he performed on The Next Star. This popular show is the Israeli competition used to select the representative for the Eurovision Song Contest. Shaul had advanced to the next round. I have the location of his grave in Ra'anana and plan to visit and write a tribute on my next trip to Israel.

Shlomo Artzi’s personal history is noteworthy, like his music. He was born in 1949 in a small Israeli cooperative village named Alonei Abba. Both his parents survived the Holocaust. His father was a Zionist activist in Romania and would later become a member of the Knesset. His maternal grandmother’s brother was the Lubliner Rav, Rabbi Meir Shapiro, who founded the Chachmei Lublin Yeshiva and became the first Orthodox Jew to serve in the parliament (Sejm) of the Second Polish Republic.

His first major musical success came in 1970, when he won first place at the Israel Song Festival with the song פתאום עכשיו, פתאום היום (Suddenly Now, Suddenly Today) while serving in the Israeli Navy entertainment troupe. He then had the honor of representing Israel in the Eurovision Song Contest in 1975 with the song את ואני (You and Me).

If you aren’t familiar with his music, I hope this introduction encourages you to further explore and connect with it.