In our increasingly chaotic and polarized world, where extremists wrestle to control narratives, artists can help us redefine them. As they observe realities, reveal beauty and build worlds of their own, creatives can help us understand what is happening and what is coming. War is the opposite of imagination; art is where imagination lives.
The opposite of war isn’t peace; it’s creation.– Jonathan Larson, playwright
That’s why we decided to make a podcast about how Jewish and Palestinian artists in Israel have experienced this year of war, and how it has affected their creation. The show explores the roles that music, theater, dance, film, comedy, poetry and visual expression are playing in communal grappling with the conflict — and is itself a needed break from the grim news of violence and loss.
Hosted by Libby Lenkinski, an Israeli-American activist who has spent decades working with Israeli and Palestinian creatives, our show is a series of frank, open-hearted, insightful one-on-one conversations. The artists share work in progress, and offer their own questions for the next guest in the series.
LISTEN TO THE PODCAST
We’ll bring you 10 conversations with Jewish and Palestinian artists living in Israel, including:
- Sha’anan Streett, lead singer and songwriter of HaDag Nahasgh, one of Israel’s most successful hip hop/funk bands
- Noam Shuster Eliassi, a comedian who grew up on the coexistence village Neve Shalom and performs in Hebrew, Arabic, and English
- Adam Yekutieli (AKA Know Hope), a world-renowned visual artist who got his start drawing on the streets of Tel Aviv
- Tamer Nafar of DAM, the first Palestinian hip hop group
- Etgar Keret, the legendary short story writer and essayist
- Mira Awad, an Arab-Israeli singer-songwriter, actress and television host who represented Israel at the Eurovision Song Contest in 2009
ABOUT THE HOST
Libby Lenkinski is the founder of Albi — the Arabic word for “my heart” — a new nonprofit devoted to using cultural vehicles for social and political change in and about Israel-Palestine. The foundation is connected to the New Israel Fund, where Libby is vice president for public engagement.
Born in the U.S. to an Israeli mother, Libby has been a citizen of both countries, a speaker of both Hebrew and English, and an ongoing presence in both places since birth.
This podcast is produced by Yochai Maital and Mijon Zulu of Poldhu. Jodi Rudoren of the Forward is Executive Producer. The logo and visuals are designed by Tamar Lazaros of Laba Media House and are based on Libby’s tattoos designed and inked by Dan Lior at Jaffa Tattoos.