“Israeli youth are tired of the army and the government and all that macho stuff,” Aviv Geffen, the original Israeli musician-rebel told Rolling Stone back in 1996, saying that they should “go travel, see the world, have their freedom.”

Well now Geffen has really seen the world in true rock star style. He has just played the Berlin 02 World Arena, one of Europe’s most prestigious venues. The show this weekend was the culmination of a three-week tour of Germany as the opening act for the German pop star Nena.

Geffen, who dodged military service and promised to commit suicide if he was drafted, wears lipstick and mascara. The rocker, who has been known to smash guitars onstage, became a national hero in Israel in the mid-1990s, after his songs became anthems for the generation that witnessed the Rabin assassination.

Forwarding the News

Thoughtful, balanced reporting from the Forward and around the web, bringing you updated news and analysis each day.

Terms(Required)

I agree to the Forward's Terms of Service and Privacy Policy

Email(Required)

But while some expected his popularity to be short lived — filling an emotional need of the hour and then fading in to obscurity — Geffen has managed to remain relevant and produce fresh new music.

Back in 2001 he formed a new group, Blackfield, which remains popular with Israeli youth. Last year he released his first English-language album, simply titled “Aviv Geffen.”

Geffen’s Berlin performance underscores the fact that he has successfully elevated himself from a niche Israeli act to a marketable international performer. “It’s not world music,” he told the London Times last year, “it’s mainstream indie rock.”

The Forward is free to read, but it isn’t free to produce

I hope you appreciated this article. Before you go, I’d like to ask you to please support the Forward.

Now more than ever, American Jews need independent news they can trust, with reporting driven by truth, not ideology. We serve you, not any ideological agenda.

At a time when other newsrooms are closing or cutting back, the Forward has removed its paywall and invested additional resources to report on the ground from Israel and around the U.S. on the impact of the war, rising antisemitism and polarized discourse.

Readers like you make it all possible. Support our work by becoming a Forward Member and connect with our journalism and your community.

This is a great time to support independent Jewish journalism you rely on. Make a gift today!

—  Rachel Fishman Feddersen, Publisher and CEO

Support our mission to tell the Jewish story fully and fairly.

$90 $180

$360

Other amount