Israel Hour Radio - Israeli Music Podcast

In their most famous song, Kaveret sang 'tovim ha'shnayim min ha'echad' - two are better than one'. Ain't that the truth? It's said that the best things come in pairs...so in honor of the very unique date of 2.22.22 (taking place on a TWOS-day), we thought it would be a great time to present an hour of Israeli duets! Grab a friend and listen together! (Original Air Date: February 20, 2022) Full pl...

Snow? Ice? Frigid temperatures? Though these things do occur from time to time in Israel, they are rare. This time of year, however, Israelis do see quite a bit of rain - and rather than a nuisance, it is seen as a blessing. Apparently, they like to sing about it too! So this week on Israel Hour Radio, we bring you a collection of our favorite Israeli songs about 'geshem' - rain. We'll turn your n...

After nearly two long years, Israel is officially open once again! Josh didn't waste a moment in buying tickets for himself and his family, and boy, was it good to be back! This week, we present the tunes heard throughout his recent trip, experienced mostly from the driver's seat of a rental car. What's blaring on Israeli radios in 2022? Which Israeli superstar did he see in concert? And why is Gr...

Even if you've never heard the name Yoram Taharlev, you've definitely heard many of the songs for which he's responsible. Taharlev was a master lyricist, who wrote at least 1,000 Israeli songs throughout his life. Yoram Taharlev passed away on January 6, 2022 at age 83, and we take time this week to marvel at the beloved songs he created, many of which we've been singing for years. Join us as we p...

Happy 2022! As we begin a great new year of programming and fun, let's take some time to catch you up on the latest and greatest in Israeli music, shall we? And yes, December's new releases were pretty great indeed. You'll hear incredible new releases by artists like Hanan Ben Ari, Omer Adam, Yasmine Moalem and more...plus some amazing collaborations with Rami and Rita, Zehava Ben and Avraham Tal,...

It's been a fun year in Israeli music! With Coronavirus still a major part of our lives, 2021 will be remembered only slightly better than 2020. But in Israel, the music industry remained as exciting and vibrant as ever. As 2021 draws to a close, Israel Hour Radio looks back at the most popular Israeli music of the year. What songs were heard on Israeli radio stations more than any others? What we...

Ladies and gentlemen, please welcome digital marketer, family man, and Israeli music fan David Alpern of Long Beach, California to Israel Hour Radio! As a former DJ of a similar Israeli music radio show, David's excited to get back into a radio studio and spin his favorite Israeli tunes, just as he did during his college days. So as part of a family trip to New York, David is making time to stop b...

In December 1994, Josh Shron walked into the studios of WRSU Radio ... and never left. Now in December 2021, he celebrates his 27th anniversary on the air, and you're invited to the anniversary party! Um, well...actually, it's a birthday party, because we couldn't find too many good Israeli anniversary songs. We did, however, find tons of great BIRTHDAY songs, and we're celebrating this milestone...

Don't let the light go out! Chanukah 5782 may be behind us, but the magic and light of Chanukah can be with us all year long. Let those good feeling stay with you by enjoying 60 minutes of Israeli music for Chanukah! You'll hear classic favorites, new original selections, some amazing acapella interpretations, and much more! Best of all, it's all Israeli...and we promise you won't have to hear 'I...

If the names Idan Raichel, Ivri Lider, Sarit Hadad, Static and Ben-El Tavori, and Shlomi Shabbat mean anything to you, you're going to love this show! You'll hear all of them and many more as we look back at the best Israeli music of November 2021. From remakes of popular songs to power ballads...from songs of great sorrow to songs of great joy...from fun dance tracks to early Chanukah presents......

It was the year Atari was born, Elvis died, and 'Star Wars' first brought us to 'a galaxy far, far away.' But this week in 1977, President Anwar Sadat of Egypt arrived in Israel for the very first time, ushering in an era of peace between the two countries which is still in force today. In honor of that momentous occasion in Israeli history, we set our Israeli Music Time Machine back to 1977 to lo...

'There's no place like home...' After about 18 months away, Israel Hour Radio is back home at WRSU Radio! It feels so good to be back in the studio where the magic happens, and we're celebrating this milestone with all of you by playing songs of homecoming. It turns out a lot of Israeli artists like to sing songs about coming home, and we've compiled a great playlist of songs to remind us all of t...

Welcome to the 'Israeli Music Time Machine' – a new feature at Israel Hour Radio that will periodically explore the Israeli music of yesteryear. We kick things off today with a look into the best Israeli music of 1987, the year Josh visited Israel for the very first time. Tune in for a selection of the most popular songs of '87, as well as a countdown of the top five of the year. What are your mem...

After two weeks of 'heavy' High Holidays, we are now ready to begin one of the most joyous holidays of the year. Sukkot is known as 'Zman Simchateinu', the time of our happiness...and so, we thought it would be the perfect time to play 'shirei simcha', songs of happiness! Every song on today's playlist includes the word 'sameach' (happy) in the tile, and every song is guaranteed to make you HAPPY!...

For our first podcast of 5782, we take some time to look back at the most popular Israeli music of 5781! Every Rosh Hashana, the radio stations in Israel count down the biggest hits of the year. What songs were blaring on Israeli radios all year long? Reminisce with us and spend an enjoyable hour looking back at the Israeli songs that created the soundtrack of 5781. (Original Air Date: September 1...

It’s our last show of 5781, and it’s a very special episode. First, we'll meet special guest and former 'Kochav Nolad' winner Hagit Yaso, who will tell us about her career, her music, her family heritage, and much more. Then, we'll meet the folks behind "The Integration Project", a fun special initiative designed to help bring Israeli music to the masses by creating English versions of classic Heb...

What a summer it's been in Israeli music! Despite heightened Corona restrictions and the return of indoor masks, Israeli artists have been busy as ever, cranking out some incredible hits all summer long. Today we conclude our August Chagigot with a 'Chagigat Lehitei Kayitz 2021' - a celebration of Israeli music's hits of summer 2021. What was your favorite song released this summer? (Original Air...

Here's a topic we've definitely never attempted before: Israeli songs about REAL people! Sometimes the best Israeli songs are about Biblical personalities, Zionist leaders, inspirational historical figures, or just inspirations in a songwriter's life. Tune in today for a fun, somewhat biographical look at a number of real people, past or present. It's our "Chagigat Shirei Anashim Amitiyim" ... a c...

When Israel meets Jamaica: Our August Chagigot continue with our 'Chagigat Shirei Reggae' - a celebration of Israeli reggae songs! Wikipedia defines reggae as 'a music genre that originated in Jamaica in the late 1960s. The term also denotes the modern popular music of Jamaica and its diaspora'...and it’s made its way to Israel! Thanks to the efforts of artists like Hatikva 6, Tomer Yosef, Muki, a...

When two or more Israeli singers come together to make beautiful music...the results can be magical. When you get to enjoy that magic for a full hour...it's an exhilarating experience! Welcome to Week #2 of our August Chagigot...and this week, it's a "Chagigat Duetim" - spotlighting the most meaningful, the most beautiful, the most interesting duets in Israeli music! (Original Air Date: August 8,...

Welcome to August Chagigot 2021! For decades, Israel Hour Radio has devoted its August programming to fun and interesting topics in Israeli music. This year, we kick things off with a 'Chagigat Shirei Anglit...B'Ivrit' - a celebration of English songs translated into Hebrew! You'll hear classics from The Beatles, Ray Charles, Simon and Garfunkel, Bob Dylan, and many others - along with covers of c...

Last week on Tisha B'av, the Jewish world cried over the ongoing pandemic of 'sin'at chinam' - baseless hatred. The antidote? 'Ahavat Chinam' - love and kindness. A week after Tisha B'av comes 'Tu B'av' - the Jewish holiday of love. But instead of playing cheesy love songs, this week we're playing songs ABOUT love and common decency. You'll love singing along to these positive, uplifting Israeli s...

We recently discovered that three of Israel's most important musical poets share a birthday on July 13th. Dan Almagor turned 86 this year, Ehud Manor would have been 80, and Naomi Shemer would have turned 91. Today we celebrate the music of these great artists, with popular songs that will undoubtedly have you singing along in no time. Recorded on Tisha B'av, this week's podcast focuses on the opt...

Welcome to the return of My Israeli Playlist – a monthly feature in which we invite our listeners to present their favorite Israeli songs of all time! We’re excited to welcome Richard Isaac of Seattle, Washington – longtime listener and a MAJOR part of our Israeli music community. Rich has been listening for at least two decades, and we’re thrilled to have him on the show! In honor of Pride Month...

No, we're not talking about the Swedish pop music group from the 70s.... In honor of Fathers Day in the USA, we're taking some time to pay a musical tribute to 'Abba' - the Hebrew word for 'father'. Turns out there are a lot of Israeli songs devoted to fathers, and our incredible community came up with a string of amazing tunes! These tunes are sure to put a smile on your face - and perhaps a lump...