Coexistence mothers’ prayer song goes viral
Singer Yael Deckelbaum tours the world with tune composed by ensemble of Jewish, Christian and Muslim women
Jessica Steinberg, The Times of Israel's culture and lifestyles editor, covers the Sabra scene from south to north and back to the center
It’s heady times for singer/songwriter Yael Deckelbaum, who has scored a viral hit with her latest song, “Prayer of the Mothers,” a heartfelt, hand-clapping tune made with 14 fellow female musicians of all types and stripes.
Deckelbaum, an alumna of the well-known Habanot Nechama, a hip folk music trio with fellow female vocalists Karolina and Dana Adini, banded with an ensemble of Jews, Christian, Muslim, religious and secular, Israeli and Palestinian women to compose “Prayer of the Mothers.”
The impetus was the Women Wage Peace movement, which came together after the 2014 war between Israel and Gaza-based Palestinian fighters.
Last October, thousands of Jewish and Arab women participated in the March of Hope project, walking to the Dead Sea for a joint prayer for peace.
The song, now with more than 3.5 million views on YouTube, became an anthem of hope around the globe, performed by a portion of the ensemble at festivals and concerts.
Deckelbaum, born in Jerusalem to an Israeli mother and Canadian father, usually sings in English and Hebrew, and has been pursuing a solo career for the last few years.
She has several upcoming events for “Prayer of the Mothers” in Israel, Europe and the US, as she sings solo and with a selection of her fellow musicians. See her Facebook page for more information.
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