A Middle Finger to Terror

What does one do after facing death and destruction? Sing her heart out.

May 16, 2025

We’re in the period of the Omer right now, the 49 days between Passover and Shavuot (if you want to talk about it on Sunday morning with us, sign up here!). It’s traditionally a time of spiritual preparation and semi-mourning, as we commemorate a plague that killed thousands of Rabbi Akiva’s students circa 2nd century CE.

Day 33 of the Omer, which was yesterday, brings us the minor holiday of Lag B’Omer, when the dying finally stopped. It’s a joyous day of bonfires, spending time outside, and for celebrating the mystical teachings of Rabbi Shimon bar Yochai, who apparently died on this day (and who I was told to light a candle for on my odd and disappointing quest for spirituality last year). Light ‘em up, people 🕯️

Yes, this is a strange day of joy nestled in a season of grief, not unlike celebrating Yom Ha’atzmaut, Israel’s Independence Day, during a time of war.

And during a strange and sorrowful week, when Trump made a deal with Qatar, which funds Hamas, and terrorists killed a mother in the West Bank on her way to give birth, we find ourselves embracing joy not just in Lag B’Omer but in cheering Israel on as it takes the stage in the Eurovision finals tomorrow.

Eurovision contestant Yuval Raphael, 24, wrapped in an Israeli flag

As you may have read last year, I’m a big Eurovision fan. Like… I will be hosting a party in front of my TV with milkshakes. (If you don’t get that reference, please watch Australia’s entry. You’re welcome. I also wrote that line before Australia lost in the semi-finals, but I will still be making milkshakes.)

The Coin Collector's Guide: I Drink Your Milkshake edition - Equity.Guru

I tend to vote based on my favorite songs, but I also always vote for Israel (you can vote up to 20 times - scroll to the bottom to learn how YOU can too!). Last year, we watched Eden Golan belt her heart out about October rain despite the hate she received, inspiring us all, including my brother and wife who named their baby after her!

This year is even more emotional, as Israel is being represented by a survivor of the Nova massacre. Yuval Raphael is a gifted singer. While “New Day Will Rise” is not my favorite song in the world, it feels amazing to cheer on a country that’s a part of your soul, akin to cheering for your team during the Super Bowl, I imagine.

With so much hate in the world, I’m trying to temporarily have tunnel vision, focusing on the love and excitement I feel for Yuval going to the finals! At least for this weekend. Because there’s a certain kind of resistance in joy, in shutting out the hate, the awful comments, the protestors making threatening gestures, and instead throwing parties, cheering, and spreading light.

Speaking of light, I’ll let Ora Blank, whose moving words I found on Facebook, share Yuval’s story.

The following was written by Ora Blank:

I admit it.

Unapologetically. Unironically. With glitter in my eyes and a dramatic hand to my chest:

I’m a Eurovision fan. Have been since the moment I made Aliya. It was destiny, really. Picture it:

I’d just fallen stupidly, inconveniently, madly in love — the kind of love that makes your teeth hurt. We’d stopped at the dépanneur at Tzomet Pat to buy cigarettes (as one does when in love and low on self-preservation). Eurovision was on the TV in the corner, casting neon chaos across dusty snack shelves. And something about it — the costumes, the disco ball sincerity, the complete and utter refusal to take itself seriously — hooked me.

Yes, it was camp. Yes, it was madness. And yes, I adored it. (And for the record, Israel’s entries? Always very normal. Extremely normal. Painfully normal. Obviously.)

But this year, something is different. Something sacred. Something unspeakably tragic and achingly beautiful.

This year, our representative is Yuval Dayan Raphael. She was there, at the Nova Festival on October 7th. Shabbat. Simchat Torah. 6:30 in the morning.

She wasn’t wearing armor. She wasn’t holding a gun. She was wrapped in music, in joy, in light.

And then — the unthinkable. Hamas terrorists descended. They brought death and horror into a place that had only ever known dance.

Yuval called her father. And in that moment, that singular moment that will echo in his soul forever, she begged him — pleaded — to call someone. Anyone. The police. The army. “They’re killing everyone,” she said. “They’re beating us. They’re shooting.”

And her father — what does a father say? What words are there for this nightmare?

He said the only thing that might save her: “Hang up and play dead.”

Let that sink in. She is not a story. She is not a symbol. She is a real girl with real parents and real terror seared into her bones.

And now, from the ashes of that horror, she is rising, stepping onto one of the biggest stages in the world, not just to sing — but to reclaim the music, the light, the joy that was stolen.

This is more than a competition; it’s a resurrection. It’s an anthem. It’s a middle finger to terror and a love letter to survival.

Vote for Yuval. Vote for courage. Vote for the power of music to carry us home.

Am Israel Chai

***HOW TO VOTE***

This is NOT just a song contest – this is OUR fight. And we need you.

You can vote from anywhere in the world – even if you’re not in Europe!

Here’s how to vote on Saturday, starting at midnight CEST if you’re not in Europe:

1. Go to the official voting site: www.esc.vote

2. Select “Israel – New Day Will Rise”

3. Vote up to 20 times per device! Yes, twenty times!

That’s it. No app. No SMS.

Just a few clicks and a few euros. And you can stream the show live on Peacock.