Israel Hour Radio - Israeli Music Podcast

Did you know that gratitude is good for your health? Studies show that people who practice daily gratitude tend to be healthier, spend less time in hospitals, and exercise more. Do you get the same benefits if you listen to SONGS of gratitude? Let's find out with this special Thanksgiving-inspired playlist. In this episode, we also speak with Yann Selka, an insanely-talented YouTuber who brings cr...

On November 20, 1977, Egyptian President Anwar Sadat touched down in Israel and addressed the Knesset. To many, this day marked the beginnings of the fulfillment of a dream... the dream of peace in the Middle East. 45 years later, that dream has come even closer to fruition, with several other Arab countries now enjoying normalization with the State of Israel. To mark this historic anniversary, Is...

Ready to party like it's 1999? Israel Hour Radio takes you back to a year that saw the invention of Napster, the Euro, Spongebob, Bluetooth, and fears of Y2K. But in Israeli music, we were much more interested in Sarit Hadad, Rita, Shlomo Artzi, and Eyal Golan. Let's take a trip back to 1999 in the Israeli Music Time Machine, and explore the most popular Israeli music of the final year of the deca...

We recently had the exciting opportunity to sit down with Idan Raichel, one of the most successful and beloved artists in Israel for the past 20 years. We asked him about his life, his experiences during Coronavirus, his submission for the 2020 Eurovision Song Contest, and of course, the making of 'Shevet Achim VaAchayot'. This week, you'll hear our exclusive interview with Idan Raichel, accompani...

Amidst the Jewish holidays and Israel's latest round of political campaigning, the Jewish State still managed to find time to release some exceptional musical entertainment! This week, your favorite Israeli music podcast presents the best new Israeli songs of September and October 2022, with a long list of your favorite singers. Should we drop a few names? Oh, ok...how about Harel Skaat, Narkis, E...

In a song we play every year, Ofra Haza sang, 'After the holidays, everything starts again'. So as the Jewish holiday season has come and gone for 5783, we are feeling optimistic for the year ahead. And we're not the only ones...Israel's musicians love to sing about new beginnings and the opportunity to start over. So this week, Israel Hour Radio presents an hour of songs of rebirth, renewal, reju...

Recorded during Sukkot 5782, a holiday nicknamed 'Zman Simchateinu' (the time of our joy), this podcast is guaranteed to put a smile on your face, or your money back. First, we're playing songs about happiness, joy, smiling, celebration, and fun. Then - and this is BIG - we're bringing you an exclusive interview with Hanan Ben Ari, telling us about his creative process, his life and career, his up...

Our look back into the best Israeli music of the past Jewish year continues! Last week, we shared the most popular Israeli songs of the year as voted on by Galgalatz listeners. But those aren't necessarily the songs that received the most radio airplay overall! This week, we take a look at the Hebrew songs that were heard most often on all radio stations in Israel in 5782...and the results may sur...

Shana Tova! The new Jewish year 5783 is here, and it's time to look back at the best Israeli music of 5782. It's been another amazing year for Israeli music, and we're excited to present a look back at the biggest Israeli songs of the past 12 months. We're counting down Galgalatz listeners' picks for the best songs of 5782. Did your favorite Hebrew song make the list? (Original Air Date: October 2...

When you think about Israel, you may picture the Western Wall, the sandy beaches of Tel Aviv, or your favorite shuk (open-air market). But chances are, you'll also recall some sort of 'balagan' scenario; a chaotic scene, out-of-control lines at Ben Gurion airport, or just about any interaction with government bureaucracy. Our August Chagigot continue this week with a 'Chagigat Shirei Balagan' - a...

Our August Chagigot are in full swing, and this week, we'll do our best to help you wake and smell the coffee (or tea) with our Chagigat Shirei Cafe V'teh! Israelis are obsessed with their coffee, and clearly love to sing about it. Thanks to our wonderful community, we've come up with an hour of songs about coffee, tea, and the places you drink it. And while you're listening, think about our quest...

On August 14, 2022, we awoke to the sad reality of a world without Tzvika Pick, who passed away earlier that day at the age of 72. Within minutes, we at Israel Hour Radio scrambled to pull together more than a dozen of Tzvika's greatest compositions, both sung by him and by other Israeli musical superstars. Truth be told, it wasn't so difficult. Tzvika's music is so much a part of the Israeli soun...

As we get closer to Tisha B'av, the saddest day on the Jewish calendar, our tradition encourages us to think sad thoughts. But here at Israel Hour Radio, our job is to uplift you, not depress you! So this week, rather than playing 'sad' songs, we're sharing an hour of songs about sadness, and they all have the word 'atzuv' (sad) in the title. Yes, some of them may be sad, but others...not so much....

In 1982: Michael Jackson's 'Thriller' becomes one of the best-selling albums of all time...'E.T.' becomes one of the highest-grossing films of all time...and Israel releases some of the best songs of all time! What did Israeli music sound like 40 years ago? It sounded pretty darn good, actually. Take a walk down memory lane and join us for a look back at the best Israeli music of 1982, as we count...

When you're recording a show on a Jewish fast day, what kind of music do you play? Well, that depends on what you want to *feel* on that day. Are we supposed to be sad and depressed, or hopeful and positive? Well, we chose the latter. Recorded on the 17th of Tammuz, a sad day on the Jewish calendar, this podcast features those Israeli classics that just make you feel better the second they begin....

If you consider yourself an Israeli music fan, then you've got to keep up to date with the latest and greatest tunes from the Holy Land. But what's the best way to stay informed? Israel Hour Radio, of course! We've got your back with a selection of the must-hear songs of June '22 - and be prepared - most are exciting, upbeat, and tons of fun. Need a good hour of music to listen to while exercising...

When Eyal Golan, Eden Ben ZaKen, Ivri Lider, Rotem Cohen, Idan Raichel, Noa Kirel and other Israeli singing superstars all share the stage throughout one one podcast, you know it's going to be fun. What brand new songs came out in Israel during the month of May? Tune in to this week's podcast, and get acquainted with some of the hottest Israeli songs on the radio today! (Original Air Date: June 12...

One of the things we love about Israeli music is that, 74 years later, it still reflects a tremendous love for our country. This is especially true in the way Israel's music industry celebrates Yom Yerushalayim, commemorating the liberation and reunification of Israel's capital city in 1967. Considering we waited for this day for 2,000 years, it probably makes sense that we're singing about it 55...

Ready to party like it's 1948? Israel's 74th may be behind us, but the celebration continues today and every day! We're celebrating the miracle of the modern State of Israel with a collection of songs released specifically for Yom HaAtzmaut throughout the years. Especially since the birth of YouTube, Israeli singers have worked hard to help us connect to Eretz Yisrael through song on this special...

The weeks after Passover are an emotional roller coaster in Israel, taking us on a gut-wrenching journey from the lowest depths to the highest highs. It all begins this week with Yom HaShoa - Holocaust Remembrance Day, a day to remind us of the greatest tragedy the Jewish people have suffered in history. While the day will be marked by Holocaust programs around the world, there's something very sp...

Sure, we all love singing the classics, and reminiscing about the music of yesteryear. But if you want to get a sense of the pulse of today's Israel, you need to tune into today's Israeli music! Well, you've come to the right place. March 2022 was an amazing month for Israeli music, and we can't wait to share these great new songs with you! All your favorites are ready to perform for you, includin...

Is there an Israeli music fan out there who isn't just a little obsessed with the music of Rita? For nearly 40 years, Rita's cranked out hit after hit in Israel, and her music still blares on radios throughout the country every single day. Rita turned 60 on March 24, and we wanted to join the Israeli music community in showing our love. So this week, we present an hour of Rita's greatest hits...so...

With most of the world appaled at the events unfolding in Ukraine, we at Israel Hour Radio felt the need to offer some small gesture to show our solidarity. So with your help, we gathered together some of our favorite 'shirei shalom', Israeli songs of peace - and we present them this week in hopes that these songs will inspire you to keep Ukraine in your prayers. (Original Air Date: March 20, 2022...

Each month, we take time to explore what's new, hot, and trending in the world of Israeli music. Well, cold as it may have been, February was a HOT month for new Hebrew songs! Your favorite Israeli artists are excited to show off ther new material - with new songs from Idan Raichel, Omer Adam, Shiri Maimon, Ninet Tayeb, and many others! Betcha find a new favorite song this week...just be sure to w...

This week, we take you back to the year of Hurricane Katrina, the election of Mahmoud Ahmadinejad in Iran, and Israel's disengagement from Gaza. Ouch...did anything GOOD happen in 2005? Well actually, yes. In the world of Israeli music, some incredible songs came out that very same year. Take a trip back with us to 2005 in Israeli music, and sing along to some old favorites we know you'll love! (O...