A new song competition comes with a free trip to Israel for the winner, who will perform with Nicole Raviv and others at the Tel Aviv Museum of Art. Competitors will submit renditions of “The Whole Entire World Is a Very Narrow Bridge” in their native language.
Raviv released a new music video of the song in Hebrew, Arabic and English with singer Yair Levi. The text derives from a saying attributed to Rabbi Nachman of Breslov.
The World Jewish Congress and Jewish National Fund-USA are collaborating with the singer on the competition, which they hope will promote “unity and diversity across the globe to mark 75 years since the founding of Israel,” per a release.
“This project is about celebrating the diversity of the Jewish people and promoting unity among Jewish communities worldwide,” said Raviv in a statement provided exclusively to JNS. “I am using my voice to celebrate the mosaic of Israel, showing that music can bridge divides and bring people closer together.”
The Montreal-born singer, who lives in New York, was born to a Romanian mother and Moroccan father who immigrated from Israel, according to Raviv’s website. She was raised in a multicultural home and trained at McGill University’s conservatory, the American Musical and Dramatic Academy and the New School, where she graduated with a fine arts bachelor in musical theater.
Her music blends “traditional Middle Eastern roots with the Western modern world creating a universal message of peace and cultural unity,” according to her website. She has performed the American national anthem at professional U.S. hockey, basketball, football and soccer games, including during the 2021 Stanley Cup Playoffs.
The “innovative” Narrow Bridge project “celebrates the diversity of the Jewish people,” said Ronald S. Lauder, president of the World Jewish Congress and chair emeritus of Jewish National Fund-USA. “Through the power of performance art, we hope to bring people together and inspire a sense of shared heritage and identity.”
The contest will begin on April 26, timed to Yom Ha’atzmaut—Israel’s Independence Day. Participants will have until May 10 to submit their music, which will be judged by May 20. Competition results will be announced on May 22.
Instructions for how to submit will be posted on the World Jewish Congress and Jewish National Fund-USA websites.
