Local Beat Israel: Making Music – Building Community

Local Beat Israel – Making Music, Building Community

Local Beat Israel is a nationwide musical initiative of the IACC that combines experiential study of sources from Jewish-Israeli musical culture with the creation of original music. The program is open to musicians age 21 and up – singers, solo instrumentalists, and ensembles, who work in diverse formats - rock, pop, Mizrachi, rap, jazz, and more.

Participants come from many backgrounds: women and men, religious and secular, veteran Israelis and new immigrants. They share a love of music and a desire to create. They take part in a structured creative process that deepens their connection to Jewish identity and to one another.

Local Beat Israel identifies and develops local musical talent. It turns creative expression into a tool that strengthens community resilience and builds lasting ties.

Now in its 13th year, Local Beat Israel has engaged over 4,000 musicians in 70 local authorities across Israel, from the Golan Heights to Eilat. It is the largest community-based original music project in the country.

Each municipality is led by a prominent Israeli artist, including Micha Shitrit, Hemi Rudner, Ariel Horowitz, Corinne Allal, Yahli Sobol, Dana Berger, Yair Dalal, Ben Artzi, and Aya Korem.

Each group also works with a facilitator who specializes in Jewish-Israeli sources, from the Bible to modern Hebrew poetry, and with a local musician who guides arrangements and production, ensuring professional support in composing and performing original songs.

The six-month program is divided into 15 weekly three-hour sessions. Each group has 20 participants and meets in a fully equipped music room provided by the local authority.

The program concludes with a public performance with an audience of some 300. Participants also record their original songs in a professional studio and share them on social media.