Renowned Israeli singer Rita “can’t wait” to perform in London later this month, after her March show was delayed due to war.
The star told the JC: “I can’t wait to finally perform in London. After some of the most difficult days in the history of Israel and the Jewish people, it is more important than ever to find moments of joy, and I am truly looking forward to being there.”
She added: “I believe that culture and music have the power to build bridges, bring people together and strengthen the connection between the Israeli and the Jewish communities.”
An Evening with Rita – Her Voice, Her Stories, Her Songs features the singer, who was born Rita Yahan-Farouz in Tehran to a Persian Jewish family, in conversation with journalist and broadcaster Elad Simchayoff. The event on 29 June, billed as “intimate and moving”, will explore stories from Rita’s life and her journey from Iran to becoming one of the most successful singers in Israel. Rita will also perform around five of her songs.
She said: “I hope it will be very warm meeting with each other. We will be together, we will hear stories, we will hear music.” She hopes the audience will leave her upcoming London event with a feeling of “love and comfort”.
It is a rare opportunity for Londoners to see the star perform. Rita last preformed at St John's Wood Synagogue in November 2023 at a charity event in support of Kibbutz Nir Oz.
Often championed as the “queen of Israeli music”, Rita began her career in 1980 in a group during her IDF service, and went on to release multiple platinum albums and compete for Israel in the 1990 Eurovision song contest.
She immigrated with her family to Israel, near Tel Aviv, in 1970 when she was eight years old, nine years before the Islamic Revolution. While Rita has long championed ordinary Iranians’ fight against oppression, and has a large following in the Islamic Republic, during the Gaza hostage crisis her message of hope and liberation gained poignancy.
One of the tracks she will perform live is Mehake, a song she wrote 20 years ago and which became a symbol of freedom for Israeli hostages who sang it while trapped in Hamas tunnels.
Omer Shem Tov, abducted by terrorists at the Nova festival and released in February 2025, was said to have sung Mehake repeatedly to himself. Rita told the JC it made her feel “privileged”.
“One female hostage who went through hell there wrote the song lyrics all the time on the tunnel wall. It’s become like a prayer, an anthem to give people strength, hope and comfort. Since October 7, its meaning of hope has been amplified," she said.
For tickets to An Evening with Rita, contact tali@tzemach.com
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