“I love people,” says Grammy-award-winning violinist Miri Ben-Ari. “I love the energy that music brings to people – the feelings, the harmony, the vibrations. There’s something so strong about music. It’s like a magic wand.”
This coming Sunday evening at the Jerusalem Post Gala and on Monday at the Jerusalem Post Annual Conference in New York, Ben-Ari will be making more of her musical magic before hundreds of guests and attendees.
Ben-Ari is looking forward to speaking and performing at the conference. “I think it’s a good time to focus on solutions and support, and when the community comes together, meaningful progress can be achieved. I truly believe in that.”
When she performs at the Jerusalem Post Conference, Ben-Ari will be playing a violin that survived the Holocaust. As a third-generation descendant of Holocaust survivors, she says that using this special instrument will imbue her performance with extra meaning. “For me, this is stronger than words. This is where music is the strongest thing. The notion is that this violin survived the Holocaust, and now I get to play this instrument and tell its story through music. It carries the story of our pain and legacy of the Jewish people.
“When I play this violin, I ask it, ‘Where have you been? What have you seen?’ Can you imagine playing a violin that potentially was played in the Jewish ghetto, and now I get to play it at a Jerusalem Post Gala – it’s a very special feeling.”
At the conference, Ben Ari will play a blend of her famous hip hop violin sound together with Jewish themes. “I’m going to play my soulful style with some Jewish themes. I am definitely going to go Jewish. It’s going to be very special. The violin gives you the ability to cry, but because of the music that I play, it’s so energetic and uplifting. So it’s the cry plus hope. I feel that it completely captures where we are right now.”
Ben Ari shares that she remains optimistic despite the difficulties that have presented themselves since the war began. “We’ve all been in a state of anxiety since October 7. But the same time, we all have that Israeli survival DNA that has been passed on from generation to generation. It’s what keeps us going and what helps us thrive in spite of all of these horrific challenges. Israel is a very complicated place, and at the same time, it’s the most amazing place in the world. One thing that I really love about Israel is that we are the start-up nation, and I think the conference will allow raising important questions and addressing issues that matter in a creative way.”
Ben Ari herself is known for her out-of-the-box creativity. She studied under the late classical master Isaac Stern and created her own unique sound – a fusion of classical, hip-hop, and dance music. She has collaborated with musical icons such as Wyclef Jean, Alicia Keys, Kanye West, Jay-Z, Wynton Marsalis, Britney Spears, Maroon 5, Akon, Donna Summer, Janet Jackson, John Legend, Aventura, Armin Van Buuren, and many others, and in 2024, founded MusicX, a music-tech start-up focused on developing an innovative approach to music streaming and social connectivity. She has played in numerous well-known venues, from the Apollo Theatre to the White House.
A firm believer in the power of music, Ben-Ari’s most recent initiative, entitled “Symphony for Brotherhood,” developed in partnership with the New Jersey Department of Education and the New Jersey Lieutenant Governor, Tahesha Way, promotes positive school culture, inclusion, and unity by using music to combat hate, racism, and antisemitism. Recalling her performances in schools in New Jersey, she says, “We come with hip hop and gospel, and it’s interactive. We meet students where they are. It’s the music they love.”
All of the performers at the Symphony for Brotherhood program tell the students where they are from. “My Black Gospel choir says, ‘We’re from Harlem, New York,’ and I tell them I am from Israel. They’re just excited about that because by the time we get there, they already accepted me because of my music. They know my music and they love what I do. Music creates harmony and acceptance where other mediums fail.”
Written in collaboration with Miri Ben-Ari
