The struggle and hope of Israel

On Nov. 3 we were graced with the presence of Shaanan Streett from the band Hadag Nahash. During his talk, there was a consistent theme about the concepts of struggle and hope in regards to the state of Israel. To struggle is to fight, which requires none other than the necessity to become as strong as one can possibly be in such a situation. Of course the question that arises is: what does it mean to be strong? All these questions and more flooded my brain as I listened to Streett’s presentation. I couldn’t help but think of the relevance this had to our own country’s circumstances.

With this in mind I contacted Muhlenberg College Hillel’s Israel Fellow, Liron Daniel, with some questions about her thoughts on Streett:

How did you come in contact with Shaanan Streett? Was there a specific goal in mind when inviting him to campus?

As a Jewish Agency Israel Fellow at Muhlenberg College Hillel, I am in charge of Israel Engagement, Israel Education and Israel Experience. One of the things I do is bring speakers to talk about Israel and Israeli culture. Shaanan Streett is one of the most influential and respected cultural voices in Israel today. He is the perfect person to talk about the Israeli music scene and life in Israel through the eyes of an artist.

Personally, Shaanan is one of the most recognizable faces in Jerusalem. I was born and raised in Jerusalem, and I love this city more than any other place in the world. One of my goals for this year was to show Israel as I see and experience it, and Jerusalem is a big part of this experience for me and, in fact, a huge part of me. Bringing an artist from my hometown to talk about Israeli culture, music, the night scene and, most importantly, life in Jerusalem, made me so proud of where I came from. Actually, at the last clip he showed us, “Friday” (Yom Shishi), I found myself tearing a little bit. There were a lot of pictures of Jerusalem in this video, and it made me realize how much I miss this special feeling, right before Shabbat, in Jerusalem.

Muhlenberg College Hillel is very thankful to Hillel International for their support and helping us bring Shaanan to campus. We received two grants which enabled the event to be free for all attendees.

Streett mentioned this concept of being an artist and what that means in regards to ‘truth.’ What do you think he meant by that?

I think what he meant is that an artist can’t do something if he doesn’t really believe in it. Whether it is a singer, a sculptor, a songwriter, a painter, a musician or a dancer—an artist has to follow his heart, go with his own truth and to be loyal to himself. He needs to trust his gut and follow his instincts. The moment an artist feels connected to something and believes in it with all his heart is the moment the magic happens and special and meaningful things are being created.

What do you think ‘art’ is in the world of today? Is the role of art different in Israel compared to America? What do you think?

Art for me is to create something new. It can be a song, a dance, a play or a visual masterpiece—as long as someone created something that had not existed before—that’s art to me. I really like listening to opera, as well as pop and mainstream songs, and they are both art to me. As long as it can touch your soul, connect you to something inside of you, make you think or, rarely, make you think about nothing and clear your mind for a change, I call this art.

I think the role of art is universal. It touches people in the deepest way possible. It has a say, a meaning, and people can express their feelings through it. That is a universal human need, and art is being used as a means to do it. The people and their feelings are different, and art can be different in different places and times, but its role is the same.

What was the most significant and inspiring moment for you?

The most significant and inspiring moment for me was when Shaanan spoke about Jerusalem. “I live in a place that is the heart of the problem, but also the key to the solution.”

It was a thought provoking talk, and I truly commend all the work put into bringing such a man to Muhlenberg. It was truly inspiring for all who attended. I myself particularly connected to his belief on the role of an artist. Art serves as the subconscious of the people and it is them, the citizens, who truly make the change in society. You have the ability to influence and change our civilization.