One of the many cultural interests in Israeli society is classical music and the arts. And since Israelis love going to good concerts with many different styles, a way of reaching them is through the performance of famous works.

This was certainly the case with the recent performances of Handel’s Messiah. For the first time, however, the people of this land heard it in their own language. For quite a few years, it has been on the heart of some local believers, including the original visionary, Irene Levy, to have Handel’s 18th-century masterpiece translated into Hebrew and performed for the public in this, the original language of the Bible.

The choir and orchestra were made up of believers from all over the land. With practices for the choir extending over four months and numerous administrative details on the side, this grassroots work came together under the leadership of talented and professional musicians such as Arie Bar David (conductor), David Loden and Efrat Gerlich. Each invested incredible amounts of time, energy and resources into the project.

And it was to great success! The two performances were done during Pesach (Passover) in a packed-out Pavilion but moreso, the real message went forth – a message in this Land’s native language, declaring the birth, death and coming of our Messiah.

Thankfully, this is not a one-time project and plans are being made to continue translating and performing famous works which will continue to attract Israelis and proclaim Messiah!