When Avimeir Tzur talks about his passion for music, his face lights up with pride and his eyes smile. Today, Avimeir is an accomplished artist who has succeeded in his mission to bring joy to a people at war. It wasn't always easy for this young talent, revealed by his song “Am Israel Hai Lanetzar” (the people of Israel live for eternity). Born into a religious family in Jerusalem, Avimeir didn't see his relationship with God in the same way as his relatives, who became ultra-Orthodox. An identity crisis that led him to find his vocation at an early age.
Plagued by real conflicts with his family, Avimeir left his family at the age of 17 and found himself homeless. “It was inconceivable for me to stay with them because I didn't fit in, I had nothing to do with their way of practicing religion. On the street, I met a lot of very different people, before being taken in by Rav Ben Zaken. I studied at his yeshiva, then went to Australia for a year. When I returned to Israel, I passed my baccalaureate, then my bachelor's and master's degrees in educational policy management at the University of Jerusalem,” Avimeir tells Itonnews.
The young man then began working in his field, but didn't enjoy it; for him, fulfillment lay elsewhere. “I quickly realized that I wanted to make music, because it's what I love the most,” he says.
Shortly afterwards, Avimeir enrolled in a music school and learned to play the oud. He was spotted by someone who pointed him in the direction of a highly reputed singing teacher, Ofer Calaf, who took him under his wing.
“Ofer asked me to read him a song I'd written when I left my family, but I couldn't do it, so he read it out loud and I burst into tears, suddenly words I'd written 10 years before took on so much meaning and it touched my heart. Two weeks later, I came back to him with ten more songs, and he advised me to study at the Jerusalem Academy of Music,” recalls Avimeir.
Everything goes very quickly for Avimeir. His first song, “Ahava lo tlouya be shoum davar” (love depends on nothing), which he composed on the piano, enabled him to reveal his “DNA” to the public. When war broke out on October 7, his career took an unexpected turn.
“I didn't go into the army because I was religious, so when the war started, I helped in my own way by doing all kinds of voluntary work; but a musician friend of mine convinced me to put my gift for music to good use and we organized concerts all over Israel, and I felt the positive energy being created: the people really needed a special song that would break the heavy and sad atmosphere we were living in, without putting aside the pain,” says Avimeir.
This song is “Am Israel Hai Lanetzar”, a consecration for the young man who describes it as a “song of victory”: the victory of an entire people against its enemies, but also, in the background, his personal victory.
A song of victory
“For years the terrorists have been trying to kill us, and destroy us, but we're still here, with the flags in the windows, we're standing and proud to be Israelis. We're not moving from here, we're winning this war, there's no question about it”, says Avimeir.
When he recorded “Am Israel Hai Lanetzar”, Avimeir was convinced that he was contributing to the collective effort to support the country, which was experiencing one of the worst wars in its history. “It was the right time. Every time there have been wars, the Jewish people have been divided, as on the eve of October 7, so this song is unifying, and we must be in its image: united and welded. That's our strength,” he declares.
Avimeir performs at most of the country's bases, hospitals and weddings, bringing with him a wind of optimism and happiness despite the dramas at the front for soldiers in the Gaza Strip.
At the time, Avimeir had no idea that his song would bring him international fame.
In the diaspora, his music gives strength and hope to the Jewish people, who follow the progress of the war from abroad. Avimeir even can't realize that his song is listened to on the Spotify platform in France, the United States and Australia.
“Jews abroad are sometimes much more Zionist than Israelis, it's great that my music crosses borders, this song of victory has finally united all the Jewish people and proved that we must not give up,” he assures.
At the same time, Avimeir covered a great Israeli classic, “Naari shuva eli”, which tells the story of a woman waiting at home for her man who has gone off to fight in the war and has not returned. Avimeir has dedicated his version of the song to the families of the hostages, who have been waiting 10 months for the return of their loved ones held in Gaza.
In the near future, Avimeir will be releasing his new sound, inspired by his niece Meshi, and is also putting together a show about slihot for the autumn; “I thank God every day for all the good things in my life, it's what keeps me going”, he concludes.
Caroline Haïat
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