A Festigal for the Rest of Us
The annual Israeli children's musical performance features the brightest stars in the worlds of singing and TV
There are many cultural touchstones that bring one closer to Israel. My goal with Sababoosh is to bring you some knowledge about some major parts of Israeli culture that those abroad and even some who have moved to Israel might not know about. There are the “low-hanging fruit” of Hadag Nachash being a successful group or techina being a superfood (even if not officially one, it is super), and some might not know about those.
There are also those fruit that might be out of sight or seemingly hard to reach. These might be up-and-coming foods or songs that are taking over the airwaves. My goal is to help you reach and taste that fruit.
This week’s post features the beloved children’s variety show called Festigal - a term that is understood among locals, but unknown to visitors. It is a Chanukah tradition and holds a special place in the fabric of Israeli society.
Every year aside from the online version during Corona, Festigal tours the country and features some of the brightest stars of Israeli music and TV who join for a song or dance. It’s a testament to just how big of a deal Festigal is that the most successful and well-known singers and personalities join the show.
The Format
Each year brings a different theme with unique characters who put on a musical. There is a storyline that unites all of the performers interspersed with original songs that fit the plot. Once in a while, a singer will sing their own song if it aligns with the story and theme, but the songs are often written specifically for Festigal. They are family-friendly and feature easy-to-memorize lyrics. The songs also often become popular among Israeli kids after the event. Festigal is always held during Chanukah, a time when Israeli kids have a week off from school.
History of Festigal
Festigal made its debut in 1981 after Miki Peled wanted to transform the popular Children’s Song Festivals competition started in 1970 into a performance with a storyline and theme1. In its first year, it was put on for the children of Haifa and moved to Tel Aviv the next year for a national audience. The show was still mostly a singing competition during the 80s in which Israel’s greatest singers would develop children’s songs.
In 1984, Festigal was filmed and broadcasted for the first time on Channel 1, which was the only Israeli channel at the time. The next year, a story and theme were introduced. Then in 2015, the Festigal producers decided to take away the competition element and just keep the musical performance2.
Festigal is now one of the largest Chanukah events in Israel with millions of shekels invested.
The Stars of the Show
Each year features some regulars with a range of fresh faces who play different characters. This year, some of the well-known performers were Noa Kirel, Harel Skaat, Anna Zak, Osher Cohen, and the beloved Ramzi from Kupa Reisheet (known as Checkout on Netflix). It’s a big deal to see one of these performers in concert, so when so many of the most celebrated artists perform together, people reasonably get pretty excited.
What are the Critics Saying?
“True, the audience responded with cheers, and if you ask the children who watched, they'll probably say it was perfect - after all, Noa Kirel and Anna Zak were there. But anyone who remembers the old-time Festigals can't help but compare and try to understand what happened to the big Chanukah show? Without excessive pyrotechnics, with a few original songs - and none of the cast flying around the hall in a number that we'll remember forever. Too bad.” - Michal Dabi, Mako (translated from Hebrew)
Michal Dabi from Mako reviewed the performance and offered some gems. My favorite of them was this:
“A somewhat sleepy opening, but one that is probably appropriate for the difficult year we are going through, and therefore in this case it is a fairly understandable and even necessary decision. But what about the rest of the show? We came for escapism - so give it to us, please.” (translated from Hebrew)
In Dabi’s view, she was disappointed in several ways. The lack of pyrotechnics, fewer original songs in favor of the performers singing their own songs, and overall lacking the luster of the past3. One element that she recognized was that having the performers sing some classics from the last generation, such as a song from Shlomo Artzi, is a great way to teach the youngest generation more musical history.
She also mentions the emergence of a competing show called NEXT, which will feature some of today’s greatest singers singing their own songs and duets. Nothing like competition to enhance the quality of both. Let’s hope for the best.
A Taste of Festigal
Here is the main song from this years’s Festigal to give you a taste of the performances:
Song of the Week
מערב ראשון
May-ehr-ev ree-shown
From Sunday night
Itay Levi is a household name in Israel. His songs have held high honors and he is currently a judge on the song competition, Kochav HaBa (Next Start). There is something especially Israeli about his music - the classic instruments used as well as his accent.
This one happens to sound a bit like Nadav Guedj’s “Golden Boy” from Eurovision 2015.
Slang of the Week
תעשה חיים
Ta-ah-se (/see) hi-eem
Literal: Make life
Slang: Have fun - as in, “Are you guys going to the beach?” “Ta-ah-seh hi-eem!”
Thank you kindly for reading this week’s post. I hope that you will continue to read and enjoy.
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Wishing you a Shabbat shalom and a quiet and safe weekend!
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Yissar, Eli. “The Festigal Must Go On”. Times of Israel blog. https://blogs.timesofisrael.com/the-festigal-must-go-on/
Ibid.
Dabi, Michal. “לאן נעלם כל השואו? "Sing פסטיגל" חסר נשמה”. Mako.