Just a few days after Tisha B'av, the saddest day on the Jewish calendar, Jewish tradition offers a fun season of love. Tu B'av, a holiday on which Jewish women traditionally would come out and look for mates, has become something of a Jewish Valentine's Day. It's also the perfect time to devote an episode of Israel Hour Radio to the best Israeli love songs of all time. Who doesn't love a good, cheesy love song? We're playing all of your favorites old and new, so hold on to this episode for...

Summer is here, and the Israeli music is getting HOT! The stars are out this week, all competing to become THE 'go-to' song of summer 2023. Competing for the title? Artists like Hatikva 6, Stephane Legar, Omer Adam, Noa, Netta, Narkis, Nunu, and many more! These are the songs that will be ALL OVER Israel this summer, blaring at the beach, the pool, the cafe, and in your earbuds all summer long! Your next favorite Israeli song is waiting! Looking for music to make your summer sizzle? Start...

On April 19, 2023, the Israeli music world lost one of its most creative and accomplished minds, as poet and lyricist Yehonatan Geffen passed away at age 76. Yehonatan was responsible for some of the most famous Israeli songs ever written, with classic Israeli songs for adults and children alike. As Israel Radio's Benny Dudkevitch commented, 'Israel grew up on his songs.' This week on Israel Hour Radio, we feature many of Yehonatan Geffen's most popular songs, sung by artists like Miri...

Our listeners pick their favorite Israeli songs! This time, we're pleased to introduce you to Breandan Ward of London, who has a very interesting Israeli music journey to share! Breandan grew up on a dairy farm in Ireland and moved to London after college where he worked in investment banking for 10 years before later moving to New York. His first encounter with Hebrew and Judaism happened when he met Israelis during a backpacking trip to Australia in 2002, around the same time as he started...

Seems like just yesterday to some, but 1998 was 25 years ago. It was the year Google was founded, 'Titanic' was a hit in theaters, and Monica Lewinsky was a household name. But what songs were playing on Israeli radios 25 years ago? This week, we set the dials on our Israeli Music Time Machine to 1998, and play some of Israel's biggest songs of the year. You'll hear songs by Eyal Golan, Ethnix, and Ben Artzi (who was HUGE that year), and a little song by Dana International...that made...

In our weeks-long celebration of Israel's 75th, we neglected to keep you up-to-date with the amazing NEW music coming out of Israel. It's time to correct that injustice right now! This week, Israel Hour Radio proudly presents a countdown of the top 15 songs of the week, based on the songs that received the most airplay in Israel this past week. And what a list it is! You'll hear new tunes by Static, Netta Barzilai, Keren Peles, Hanan Ben Ari, a beautiful song by Aviv Geffen in memory of his...

What's your favorite Israeli song of all time? Last week, we brought you part one of the results from Kan Gimmel radio's recent countdown of listeners' favorites, and today, we're proud to bring you part two. Each one is a classic, each instantly recognizable, and most are very singable! In honor of Israel's 75th, enjoy this exciting countdown of the most popular Hebrew songs of all time - counting down all the way to number one! What do you think of the results? Be sure to let us know!...

Could you compile a list of your favorite Israeli songs of all time? Not so easy, right? Well, in honor of Israel's 75th, Kan Gimmel radio recently asked listeners to do just that - to vote for their favorite Israeli songs of all time. On Yom Ha'atzmaut 2023, they counted down the top 75 live on the radio, and we think you'd enjoy hearing some of the results. So this week, we're kicking off two weeks of the greatest Israeli songs of all time, as chosen by Kan Gimmel listeners. Any predictions...

Israel's 75th birthday is finally here, and it's time to kick back and CELEBRATE the miracle and the magic of the modern State of Israel. And if you ask us, there's no better way to celebrate than by listening to uplifting, inspirational, and FUN Israeli music! This week, we kick off our celebration of Israel's 75th with songs marking this exciting milestone in the history of the country. Most of the songs are brand new, and they're all powerful and uplifting. Join us for a star-spangled...

Chag Sameach! The holiday of Passover is here to remind us of the blessing of freedom...bringing with it some darn good music. The songs of the seder are simply legendary, with melodies that just about everyone knows and loves. But when your favorite Israeli singers bring their own unique styles to these beloved melodies, the result is beautiful and inspirational. Grab a slice of matzah or a macaroon, tune in this week for your favorite songs of the season, and get ready to sing along!...

Who runs the world? Girls, of course. As we catch up on a few podcasts that aired on the radio but not published online, here's a great episode from March 2023 in celebration of International Women's Day. We're turning up the volume and spotlighting the empowering sounds of Israeli music created for women, by women. Join us as we groove to 'girl-power' anthems, heartfelt ballads, and infectious beats, while honoring the incredible contributions these leading ladies have made to the Israeli...

Mother’s Day? Father’s Day? They're nice and all, but we can do better. Around the year 2000, it was decided that Yom HaMishpacha - Family Day - would be celebrated in Israel on the 30th of Shevat. Ever since, Israelis enjoy the day as an opportunity to celebrate our beautiful families. In honor of the occasion, we've put together a fun playlist of family collaborations in Israeli music. Husbands and wives, parents and children, an aunt and nephew, siblings, cousins...it's all here this week....

Our listeners share their favorite Israeli songs...and this time, we're pleased to welcome Allison Rusgo to the Israel Hour Radio studios! Allison lives in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania where she works as a university professor. She was born in Manhattan but grew up in Charlotte, NC after moving there with her family in the early 1990s. Allison attended Camp Judaea (CJ) in Hendersonville, NC for many summers as a camper and staff member, where she developed a strong connection to Eretz Yisrael...

Just a week in Israel. Sometimes it's all you need to recharge your batteries and fall in love with the country all over again. Josh is back from a week in Israel, and is so excited to share the music he heard along the way. Is there anything special, meaningful, or inspirational about the playlist? No, not at all. But when you're sitting in a restaurant in Israel, and a song you love comes on...there's just nothing like it. Come along on the journey with us this week, and tell us...what's...

If you want to connect to Israel, you need to connect to its thriving culture. We can help! Join us this week for a look into the new Israeli music of the past two months. And wow, what a line-up! Hanan Ben Ari, Noa Kirel, Ninet Tayeb, Harel Skaat, Omer Adam, Narkis, and many, many more. Enjoy this upbeat playlist, jam-packed with brand new tunes from the most popular Israeli singers of 2023! (Original Air Date: January 29, 2023) Full playlist at...

Was 2013 actually TEN years ago? Crazy but true. It was the year of the Boston Marathon bombing, the 90th birthday of Shimon Peres, the passing of Arik Einstein...and Miley Cyrus teaching us how to 'twerk' on MTV. In music, however, Israelis were listening to Nathan Goshen, Keren Peles, Elai Botner, Idan Amedi, and many more. Join us as we take a musical trip back in time, and re-live the moments that made us smile, cry, and connect to Israel from ten years ago. (Original Air Date: January...

Our listeners pick their favorite Israeli songs! This time, we'll meet Leeaht Guzi, who has put together an amazing playlist for your listening pleasure. Leeaht lives in Washington DC with her husband, Amir, moving there after completing her Masters in Government in Israel. She works at a nuclear innovation startup as Director of External Affairs. Growing up with Israeli parents in California, Leeaht spent her summers with her grandparents in the suburbs of Haifa, which cultivated a lifelong...

Happy New Year! 2022 was another great year for Israeli music. Recorded on the very first day of 2023, this week's podcast looks back at the very best of the past 12 months. What were the biggest musical stories? Who were the breakout stars of the year? What songs can't you get out of your head? We'll explore all that and more this week on Israel Hour Radio. But tell us...what were YOUR memorable musical moments of 2022? (Original Air Date: January 1, 2023) Full playlist at...

The Israeli music world is still reeling from the loss of Yitzchak Klepter: composer, singer, and a *mean* guitarist. Most of us know his name very well from his time in the legendary 'Kaveret' ('Yo Ya", anyone?), but that just scratches the surface. Klepter was responsible for so much of the Israeli music we know and love, behind hit songs for Gidi Gov, Gali Atari, Arik Einstein and many others. Yitzchak Klepter passed away on December 8, 2022 at age 72, and we think you'll be surprised by...

It's that time again...time to look back at the biggest and best new Israeli songs of the month. November 2022 certainly didn't disappoint! This month, we feature new Israeli music by some of your favorites - including TWO new songs from Idan Raichel (one is a collab with Omer Adam!), a duet from Shlomo Artzi and Keren Peles, a Gidi Gov interpretation of a Randy Newman song, plus new tunes from the Shalva Band, Roni Dalumi, Benaia Barabi, and many more! (Original Air Date: December 11,...

Meet Jason Hecht: avid Israeli dancer, pinball fanatic, and all-around fun guy. He's also a very active member of our Israeli Music Community, and jumped at the chance to present a playlist of his all-time favorite songs on Israel Hour Radio! Most of Jason's song choices are inspired by Israeli dances he's learned throughout his life, and his playlist is colored by the many stories that are a part of his musical journey. Join Josh and Jason for a joyous hour with a jolly playlist! (Original...

Did you know that gratitude is good for your health? Studies show that people who practice daily gratitude tend to be healthier, spend less time in hospitals, and exercise more. Do you get the same benefits if you listen to SONGS of gratitude? Let's find out with this special Thanksgiving-inspired playlist. In this episode, we also speak with Yann Selka, an insanely-talented YouTuber who brings creativity, humor, and so much more to Israeli music. If you didn't know his name before, you'll be...

On November 20, 1977, Egyptian President Anwar Sadat touched down in Israel and addressed the Knesset. To many, this day marked the beginnings of the fulfillment of a dream... the dream of peace in the Middle East. 45 years later, that dream has come even closer to fruition, with several other Arab countries now enjoying normalization with the State of Israel. To mark this historic anniversary, Israel Hour Radio presents an hour of songs about dreams. Can Israeli music make your dreams come...

Ready to party like it's 1999? Israel Hour Radio takes you back to a year that saw the invention of Napster, the Euro, Spongebob, Bluetooth, and fears of Y2K. But in Israeli music, we were much more interested in Sarit Hadad, Rita, Shlomo Artzi, and Eyal Golan. Let's take a trip back to 1999 in the Israeli Music Time Machine, and explore the most popular Israeli music of the final year of the decade, century, and millennium! What are your memories from 1999? (Original Air Date: November 13,...

We recently had the exciting opportunity to sit down with Idan Raichel, one of the most successful and beloved artists in Israel for the past 20 years. We asked him about his life, his experiences during Coronavirus, his submission for the 2020 Eurovision Song Contest, and of course, the making of 'Shevet Achim VaAchayot'. This week, you'll hear our exclusive interview with Idan Raichel, accompanied by some of the great songs he's written for himself, his 'Project', and for other popular...