In the middle of the upcoming Jewish High Holy Days, SHIR Australian Jewish Music Festival is returning to stages in Sydney and Melbourne. This year's theme, Songs of Strength, will see Jewish music ranging from musical theatre to pop, liturgical to the latest releases from Israel - including the song that propelled Yuval Raphael to second place at Eurovision, New Day Will Rise.

But behind this celebration lies a more complex story. What does it mean to create music when your very identity has become controversial? In this raw conversation, Australian music icon Deborah Conway and SHIR festival director Ben Adler reveal the personal and professional costs of being Jewish artists in post-October 7th Australia - from cancelled performances and security concerns to the artistic defiance that keeps them creating.

Articles related to this week's episode:

https://thejewishindependent.com.au/if-i-have-to-pick-a-hill-to-die-on-exposing-antisemitism-among-the-good-is-the-one

https://thejewishindependent.com.au/extreme-intolerance-deborah-conway-on-the-pro-palestinian-protestors-who-wouldnt-let-her-sing

https://thejewishindependent.com.au/deborah-conway-in-conversation-with-ramona-koval

https://thejewishindependent.com.au/australian-music-video-goes-viral-in-support-of-israel

https://thejewishindependent.com.au/chutneys-debut-album-is-a-klezmer-tasting-jar

More information about SHIR:

https://www.shir.com.au/

And about Deborah and Ben's music and upcoming shows:

https://www.deborahconway.com/

https://www.chutneyband.com/

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