Alexandra "Aly" Raisman. Source: ryanseacrect.com

The recent announcement that Aly Raisman will be competing in the Maccabiah this summer, brought back images and sounds of her dancing to “Hava Nagila.” Her brave choice at the Olympic games last year and amazing floor routine raced through my head. Yet for many around the world, that song and others like it, are what they know of the music of Israel.

Luckily with the help of a combination of YouTube and Facebook, audiences around the world can delve much deeper into the music scene that makes up Israel.

On Facebook you can find groups called “I Love Jewish Music” and “I love Israeli Music” or simply “Israeli Music” with tons of posts that have videos and songs embedded in them.  There’s everything from the newest pop to the classic.  There are also famous, individual Israeli bands with their own YouTube channel and FB pages and Israeli singers like Yehudit Ravitz who frequently posts her videos from concerts. Along with those online entryways, you can carry Israeli rock in your pocket with an app from Radio J or Jewish Rock Radio. And if you’re wanting or planning to catch a live concert in the holy land, check out Facebook’s, Tourist Israel – Israel’s Cool Travel Guide that updates and lists concert dates.

There are even some performances out there (in there?) that go back to the early years.

For instance, if you like going in the Wayback Machine, you can find musicians who are gone from our midst, yet their works live on. Type in Naomi Shemer (“the first lady of Israeli song and poetry“) on Facebook you’ll find pages and posts dedicated to her. Lately, some nine-years after her death, I’ve not been able to stop listening to her amazing voice and share it still with my children.

These days, with big names like Alanis Morissette, Madonna, Alicia Keyes and The Rolling Stones all performing or planning to do shows in Israel, and ignoring the BDS BS, they are showing the world the receptive, open, human side of a country, with a long, long history of music (from David to Poogy) in their hearts and harmony in their spiritual being. But what the world needs to know is that just as music feeds the soul of Israel, Israel creatively gives it back to the world.

With music, the people of Israel live!

This article was originally published by the Jerusalem Post. Abe Novick is a writer and communications consultant and can be reached at abebuzz.com.