Jarock ensemble

I am part of Jarock, a German–Israeli cultural project founded in 2021 under the auspices of the Steglitz Museum. The name Jarock means green in Hebrew and symbolizes hope. Our work is dedicated to standing against antisemitism—whether rooted in hatred, indifference, or ignorance.

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Jewish culture is deeply interwoven with German culture, and it holds an essential, irreplaceable place within it. Our aim is to foster remembrance, strengthen the awareness of shared German–Israeli roots, and give contemporary Israeli artists living in Germany a platform to present the richness of their work.

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One of our central projects is the Jarock Ensemble, in which I perform as the guitarist. Together, we dedicate ourselves to the lives and works of Israeli poets with German roots, such as Yehuda Amichai, Lea Goldberg, Dan Pagis, and Natan Zach. These writers grew up with the German language before their homeland was taken from them and their lives were threatened. In Israel, they created new identities and shaped Israeli literature and the cultural consciousness of entire generations. In Germany, however, they remain largely unknown. With our work, we hope to inscribe them into Germany’s cultural memory.

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Our ensemble sets their poetry to music in its original language while also presenting the first translations into German. This artistic dialogue creates new connections between cultures, and the themes of identity, loneliness, nature, hope, and love resonate across national borders.

We perform our programs in cultural institutions and at places of remembrance. For the memorial Gleis 17 in Berlin, we composed songs and poems that can be heard in the Audiobox at the BücherboXX by Grunewald Station, where we often perform. We also accompany Stolperstein ceremonies and collaborate with local initiatives, the BücherboXX, the DIG Berlin-Brandenburg, as well as neighborhood organizations in Neukölln and Schöneberg.