HaShayara: A Musical Journey of Healing and Connection

Across Israel, communities are beginning to return home after months, and in some cases more than a year, of displacement, trauma and loss. As they rebuild their lives and neighborhoods, many are also working to restore the emotional and social bonds that were broken by war and separation.

Into this moment of healing and return comes HaShayara, Dror Israel’s traveling musical ensemble. HaShayara, meaning “caravan” operates both in Israel and abroad, using music as a powerful educational and therapeutic tool to help communities reconnect with themselves, with one another and with their broader Jewish and/or Israeli identity.

Each show invites communities into a shared space of healing, remembrance and hope which connects Israelis and diaspora Jews through powerful voices and collective song.

Formed by educators and artists from Dror Israel, HaShayara is more than a performance group. It is a moving force of healing and resilience. The ensemble works hand in hand with each community to create musical experiences that reflect their unique stories, programs that give voice to their struggles and open space for emotional expression.

The performances are deeply interactive and participatory. Community members are invited not just to listen but to sing, share and be part of the performance. Each musical experience blends well-known Israeli songs with personal storytelling, improvisation and sometimes original material written together with local youth and families. In every place, music becomes a bridge between generations, between pain and healing, and between Israelis and Jews around the world.

Hashayara’s musical programs bring healing and connection to evacuee sites, temporary housing, and now, to communities as they begin to return home.

Since the outbreak of the war in Gaza, HaShayara has performed more than 120 times across Israel. The ensemble has reached evacuated communities, IDF bases and towns still living under the threat of attack. Each member is a trained educator with experience working in times of national crisis, and each brings sensitivity, presence and care. Their approach is grounded in the belief that music can help people breathe more deeply, regulate emotion and rediscover a sense of agency and hope.

At the same time, HaShayara has begun building bridges beyond Israel. Over the course of the last year, the ensemble has toured Jewish communities across the United States, offering heartfelt performances that blend Hebrew music and personal reflection in a format accessible to English-speaking audiences. These performances go beyond entertainment, serving as heartfelt demonstrations of unity and support. With every song and every story, the ensemble reaffirms the bond between Israelis and diaspora Jews in a time when connection is more important than ever.

Hashayara brings music to IDF soldiers and reservists, creating moments of connection, reflection, and unity through shared musical experiences.

The response has been deeply moving.

“HaShayara performance embodied the essence of what our community needed: a chance to come together, to feel understood and to find strength in our shared experiences and hopes.” - Nammie Ichilov, President & CEO, San Antonio Jewish Federation.

“Each band member was musically gifted, but they brought much more to the community than their music. In the four days they were in Pittsburgh, they connected deeply with community members, sharing how they each responded to the horrific attacks of October 7.

The highlight of the performance was when the band sang ‘Anachnu v’Atem,’ touching on the connection between Israeli and Diaspora Jews, and it left every audience member in tears.” - Kim Salzman, Israel & Overseas Director, Jewish Federation of Greater Pittsburgh.

Whether performing in an evacuated community from the south or leading a gathering in a North American community center, HaShayara creates something that is at once intimate and expansive. In each performance, HaShayara gives voice to Dror Israel’s belief in the power of connection, the strength of shared purpose and the hope that grows when we sing as one.

HaShayara will return to North America for a third tour in October 2025, marking two years since the October 7th massacres with powerful performances of remembrance, resilience, and unity.