In response to international boycotts masquerading as principle, a creative renaissance is reshaping Israeli identity, driven by artists, innovators, and a society refusing to lose its soul.
This is fantastic. Please offer it to the Jerusalem Post, Times of Israel, New York Post, and other friendly papers and outlets.
If Israel's enemies only understood that the more they harass the Jews, the stronger they become, they would treat us kindly, out of spite, in the hope of weakening us.
I am in awe of Israeli creativity. The world can’t match it.
But I question your question: who are they creating for?
Artists don’t create for an audience - that’s what businesses and marketers do. Artists create from within. They create what their soul urges. And that’s what makes Israeli art so unique and special. The soul within it is beyond comparison.
Please don’t ask the artists to create for an audience.
Creativity involves, for better or worse, business and marketing decisions, if the creativity is to make money. Of course creativity is mostly "for the artist" — but it would be naive to ignore the commercial value of creativity, especially if an artist is relying on their creativity for income to live. Because Israel is a very small market, many creatives think about international audiences when creating. That's just the reality.
This is inspiring and so clearly what has to happen now. I have just returned from a short visit to Israel and feel something of this deepening, of this clarity, of who I am, where I come from, who my people are - and who we create for. Thank you for this post, Joshua.
Very uplifting, except for the comment by a director saying that only due to Netanyahu's policies is the world against Israel and her work is therefore unacceptable to the world. Like so many others, she can't see that it is Israel and not whichever leader happens to be the current PM. The explosion of hatred and alignment with terrorists that erupted instantaneously on Oct 7 2023 was a long time in the making. How can she be a director and fail to grasp the trajectory of the world since Israel's birth?
That's irrelevant. Everyone is entitled to their political opinions/perspectives. The point is that a country's elected premier shouldn't influence cultural partnerships/collaborations.
Very cool. Baruch H'. Those of us living in Chutz L'Aretz need to support this vitality with encouragement, money, attendance - aliya will increase and maybe add vitality. (I'm sorry to say that 'the war' is not behind us and yet to 'win' we must live and not allow our enemies to define us as besieged and victims. Plus, there are many people around the world who respect and respond positively to Israelis.)
Despite the immensely diverse population of Jews in Israel, the animosity of the nations towards Israel brings the Israeli people together and strengthens otherwise fraying bonds. The same will eventually happen in the diaspora, when quisling Jews receive hate from the non Jewish Israeli bashers, and realize, hopefully not too late, they've been the fools all along.
Bravo to Israeli artists! I only wish here in the US we could at least find an outlet for the movies. The ones that I have seen, and not many, are excellent! "Spy" was one. Thanks for bringing this to light.
This is fantastic. Please offer it to the Jerusalem Post, Times of Israel, New York Post, and other friendly papers and outlets.
If Israel's enemies only understood that the more they harass the Jews, the stronger they become, they would treat us kindly, out of spite, in the hope of weakening us.
Praise be to God!
Makes me EVEN PROUDER to be a Jew.
I am in awe of Israeli creativity. The world can’t match it.
But I question your question: who are they creating for?
Artists don’t create for an audience - that’s what businesses and marketers do. Artists create from within. They create what their soul urges. And that’s what makes Israeli art so unique and special. The soul within it is beyond comparison.
Please don’t ask the artists to create for an audience.
Creativity involves, for better or worse, business and marketing decisions, if the creativity is to make money. Of course creativity is mostly "for the artist" — but it would be naive to ignore the commercial value of creativity, especially if an artist is relying on their creativity for income to live. Because Israel is a very small market, many creatives think about international audiences when creating. That's just the reality.
This is inspiring and so clearly what has to happen now. I have just returned from a short visit to Israel and feel something of this deepening, of this clarity, of who I am, where I come from, who my people are - and who we create for. Thank you for this post, Joshua.
Very uplifting, except for the comment by a director saying that only due to Netanyahu's policies is the world against Israel and her work is therefore unacceptable to the world. Like so many others, she can't see that it is Israel and not whichever leader happens to be the current PM. The explosion of hatred and alignment with terrorists that erupted instantaneously on Oct 7 2023 was a long time in the making. How can she be a director and fail to grasp the trajectory of the world since Israel's birth?
That's irrelevant. Everyone is entitled to their political opinions/perspectives. The point is that a country's elected premier shouldn't influence cultural partnerships/collaborations.
Very cool. Baruch H'. Those of us living in Chutz L'Aretz need to support this vitality with encouragement, money, attendance - aliya will increase and maybe add vitality. (I'm sorry to say that 'the war' is not behind us and yet to 'win' we must live and not allow our enemies to define us as besieged and victims. Plus, there are many people around the world who respect and respond positively to Israelis.)
I have a Chagall moment rising in my heart.
Despite the immensely diverse population of Jews in Israel, the animosity of the nations towards Israel brings the Israeli people together and strengthens otherwise fraying bonds. The same will eventually happen in the diaspora, when quisling Jews receive hate from the non Jewish Israeli bashers, and realize, hopefully not too late, they've been the fools all along.
Bravo to Israeli artists! I only wish here in the US we could at least find an outlet for the movies. The ones that I have seen, and not many, are excellent! "Spy" was one. Thanks for bringing this to light.