Israel’s ‘Golden Boy’ Makes Eurovision Finals
Graphic by Angelie Zaslavsky
By Anne Cohen May 22, 2015
For the first time in five years, Israel has made it to the Eurovision finals.
16-year-old Nadav Guedj on Saturday night in Vienna, as he battles 19 other qualifiers for the big title.
His song, “Golden Boy,” is marvelous. I wanted to hate it. Really, I tried. But in the end, the ridiculously catchy pop tones and dance moves reminiscent of Usher circa 2003 won me over.
Israel has won Eurovision three times since 1973. The last time was in 1998, when Dana International’s “Diva” blew everyone’s socks off.
This contest isn’t Guedj’s first brush with fame. The Paris-born teen was the youngest participant in Israeli reality TV show “The Next Star,” and came out the winner in its second season. Let’s hope he brings this one home.
Why I became the Forward’s Editor-in-Chief
You are surely a friend of the Forward if you’re reading this. And so it’s with excitement and awe — of all that the Forward is, was, and will be — that I introduce myself to you as the Forward’s newest editor-in-chief.
And what a time to step into the leadership of this storied Jewish institution! For 129 years, the Forward has shaped and told the American Jewish story. I’m stepping in at an intense time for Jews the world over. We urgently need the Forward’s courageous, unflinching journalism — not only as a source of reliable information, but to provide inspiration, healing and hope.
Support our mission to tell the Jewish story fully and fairly.
