Rutgers Israel Cultural Fest draws The Idan Raichel Project and its fans

By Ronn Blitzer
Nov. 23, 2007

When one thinks of Israeli-themed programs on college campuses, the first visions may be those of politically charged speeches, rallies, demonstrations and counter protests.

This was not the case at Israel Culture Fest 2007, Rutgers Hillel's apolitical celebration of the Jewish state. The festival, which took place the evening of Nov. 11 in the Rutgers College Avenue Gym, included a variety of attractions, none controversial.

Vendors sold jewelry, artwork, clothing and Dead Sea mineral products; a drum circle played in the center of the room; attendants got to vote for the winner of a student-run contest for the best photograph of Israel; and representatives from different Israeli programs and tours, such as Birthright, encouraged people to travel to Israel.

The evening culminated in a concert by Israeli music phenomenon The Idan Raichel Project, an assemblage of artists fusing Israeli and Ethiopian styles into a unique sound now gaining a strong following in the U.S. as well. The Idan Raichel Project is not the first major Israeli musical act to come to Rutgers, following featured performances by Ehud Banai, HaDag Nachash, and David Broza during previous Israel Culture Fests.

While there were numerous aspects of the event that participants enjoyed throughout the evening, it was clear that the concert was the main attraction. Many claimed positions in the front row nearly an hour before The Idan Raichel Project even took the stage, securing the best possible view well in advance of the first note. Once the band began performing, audience members could be heard singing along word for word and screaming their approval between songs.

The festival and concert drew hundreds of people, including families and community members, as well as students from other universities, such as Rachel Malamud, a senior at Cornell University in Ithaca, NY.

"The concert was amazing," Malamud said. "I've seen The Idan Raichel Project in concert four times, and this was just like seeing them in Tel Aviv."