Words of woe

David Grossman, artist Shoshke and rapper Streett voice nation’s pain

Artist Zeev ‘Shoshke’ Engelmayer initiates creation of ‘A Sudden Cry,’ an animated music video expressing the country’s sorrow and need for action following the Oct. 7 attack

Jessica Steinberg, The Times of Israel's culture and lifestyles editor, covers the Sabra scene from south to north and back to the center

  • 'Noga, an evacuee from Kibbutz Zikim,' one of Zeev Engelmayer's Daily Postcards, used in the video clip 'A Sudden Cry', launched on January 29, 2025 (Courtesy)
    'Noga, an evacuee from Kibbutz Zikim,' one of Zeev Engelmayer's Daily Postcards, used in the video clip 'A Sudden Cry', launched on January 29, 2025 (Courtesy)
  • Romi and Meirav Leshem Gonen, one of Zeev Engelmayer's Daily Postcards, used in the video clip 'A Sudden Cry', launched on January 29, 2025 (Courtesy)
    Romi and Meirav Leshem Gonen, one of Zeev Engelmayer's Daily Postcards, used in the video clip 'A Sudden Cry', launched on January 29, 2025 (Courtesy)
  • 'Naama and Ayelet,' one of Zeev Engelmayer's Daily Postcards, used in the video clip 'A Sudden Cry', launched on January 29, 2025 (Courtesy)
    'Naama and Ayelet,' one of Zeev Engelmayer's Daily Postcards, used in the video clip 'A Sudden Cry', launched on January 29, 2025 (Courtesy)
  • The four released surveillance soldiers, one of Zeev Engelmayer's Daily Postcards, used in the video clip 'A Sudden Cry', launched on January 29, 2025 (Courtesy)
    The four released surveillance soldiers, one of Zeev Engelmayer's Daily Postcards, used in the video clip 'A Sudden Cry', launched on January 29, 2025 (Courtesy)
  • Images of Israelis at a protest, one of Zeev Engelmayer's Daily Postcards, used in the video clip 'A Sudden Cry', launched on January 29, 2025 (Courtesy)
    Images of Israelis at a protest, one of Zeev Engelmayer's Daily Postcards, used in the video clip 'A Sudden Cry', launched on January 29, 2025 (Courtesy)
  • An exhibit of Zeev Engelmayer's Daily Postcards in Philadelphia during 2024, launched on January 29, 2025 (Courtesy)
    An exhibit of Zeev Engelmayer's Daily Postcards in Philadelphia during 2024, launched on January 29, 2025 (Courtesy)

It was last June when artist Zeev “Shoshke” Engelmayer stood at one of the weekly political protests on Tel Aviv’s Kaplan Street and listened to acclaimed novelist David Grossman urge the public not to give up, to rise and fight against what he views as the misdeeds of the government.

Grossman’s words and Engelmayer’s illustrations are now paired with the voice of musician and rapper Shaanan Streett and others as an animated music video titled “Pitom Tassa Za’aka” (“A Sudden Cry” is the temporary translation in English).

A mutual friend of Engelmayer and Grossman connected the two, and Streett, lead singer of Hadag Nachash, who collaborated with Grossman on the hugely popular 2004 “Sticker Song,” created a new song from Grossman’s words.

In that June speech, Grossman, one of Israel’s best-known authors and the 2018 winner of the Israel Prize for Literature, read a poem calling on Israelis to fill the streets and fight for their country.

“Now’s the time to fight, men, women. Now’s the time to fill the roads and streets. There’s someone and something to fight for. For such a gift, from life itself, we will nevermore receive. No country shall arise again from conflict. There’s someone to fight for, it all depends on you. Now’s the time to rise, to live. To be a people or not to be. To be people or not to be. There’s who for, and there’s what for. All hangs by a thread,” Grossman read.

Engelmayer recalled: “It was very dramatic and we stood across from him, holding about 14 portraits of the hostages. I couldn’t understand it all then, but it had a strong impact.”

Since the Hamas attack of October 7, 2023, Engelmayer, popularly known as “Shoshke,” had been drawing what he called “Daily Postcards,” illustrations that embodied the horror, fear, and sorrow of the war, including portraits of many of the hostages. Every day for the last 15 months, Engelmayer has published a Daily Postcard on his Instagram account.

His postcards have become world-renowned, hung in public and private displays for the hostages, and often turned into placards and posters held by the artist and thousands of others at rallies and protests.

As Grossman, Engelmayer and Streett met, along with music producer Guy Moses and lyricists Dror Keren, Yael Sharoni and Amit Ulman, they came up with the idea of putting Grossman’s words to music, with animated imagery created from Engelmayer’s postcards.

Demonstrators protest against Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and the Israeli government and for the release of the hostages held in the Gaza Strip, in Jerusalem, holding posters of images by Zeev Engelmayer on June 29, 2024. (Photo by Yossi Zamir/Flash90)

Engelmayer matched his images to the words of the song, sometimes drawing new art for specific lines, or using illustrations that fit the emotions he felt while listening to the words.

“The beginning of the text is tough,” Engelmayer said of Grossman’s descriptions of the shocking imagery of October 7, and the immense sorrow and mourning felt by Israelis.

“He describes something so ugly, but it is what we’re experiencing,” Engelmayer said. “The last part is what we have to do. It’s a request for us to rise up and go to the streets, so there’s some hope and belief in change.”

Engelmayer said Grossman’s words strengthened the sense he’s had since October 7 of the need as an artist to respond immediately to the situation at hand.

Artist Zeev Engelmayer, right, with novelist David Grossman, before the release of their collaboration, ‘A Sudden Cry’ on January 29, 2025 (Courtesy)

“I want it now, even if I don’t understand the extent of all of it yet,” said Engelmayer.

The video is meant to do the same, he noted: to show what’s happening in Israel and to consider the need for action.

“I think the postcards tell a personal story, and the clip does as well,” he said. “It’s troubling, but you can identify with it.”

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