by Ella Dagan
The Soloway Jewish Community Centre was full of laughter recently as Israeli stand-up comedian Miki Geva took centre stage with his all-Hebrew show, co-sponsored by the Vered Israel Cultural and Educational Program, the Soloway JCC, Jewish Federation of Ottawa Jewish Experience Microgrants, HaKibbutz, and Regina Teplitsky.
As the director of the Vered program, I was delighted to welcome a crowd of over 110 Hebrew-speaking community members to enjoy the performance featuring such a multi-talented artist who is well known for his performances as an actor, impressionist, singer, and comedian.
Brilliant insights, funny characters, improv, guitar interludes, and most importantly sharp, witty and sophisticated standup, were all part of the show that had the audience laughing hysterically.
You might wonder how Israelis, during a time of war and worry, could be laughing and joyful while carrying so much pain? Well, the answer is: “Am Yisrael Chai” We celebrate the resilience of Israelis by coming together in extremely difficult time and feeling b'yachad - together.
The Israeli bond we share is stronger than anything else, and the Jewish sense of humour has historically aided in the survival of the Jewish people. Aside from a great chance for a fun night out, this event provided an opportunity to connect with other Israelis. I saw people there whom I have not seen since the October 7 massacre. We hugged, asked about each other's families and how they were doing, and then hugged some more. Through this connection we find release and the strength to go on fighting and living our lives to the fullest.
Israeli artists bring with them the spirit and the strength of the nation while immersing our community in culture, language, political anecdotes, and more. This is always appreciated and especially needed at this difficult time. We all have family and friends in Israel and events like this allow us to take a mental break from the everyday stress of worrying about our loved ones.
Following the success of the Miki Geva performance, we are looking forward to welcoming another well-known Israeli performer to the Nation’s Capital. The Vered Israel Cultural and Education Program welcomes Dov Navon to the Soloway JCC on Wednesday evening March 20 at 8 p.m.
Navon’s show is an immersive, biographical, and imaginative performance. In addition to being a successful international actor, Navon is also a hit when it comes to stand-up comedy. This show is in Hebrew, and like Geva’s recent performance, will again open the doors to hundreds of Israelis and provide the warm feeling of the b’yachad.
Tickets for the Dov Navon show are available here.
-Ella Dagan is the Manager at the Vered Israel Cultural and Educational Program. She can be reached at edagan@jccottawa.com.