The Israeli Consulate in San Francisco initiated and produced a special event, bringing together seven additional consulates – Germany, France, Italy, the Netherlands, Austria, Ireland and Australia – to celebrate the Eurovision Song Contest which took place at the same time in Turin, Italy.
The song and dance party, held on May 12, 2022, during the Eurovision contest, drew a diverse and progressive crowd of more than 200 guests who celebrated the creativity, diversity and music from these countries. As such, many well-known Israeli songs were played and celebrated, such as “Diva” by Dana International, “Toy” by Netta Barzilai and “Hallelujah” by Gali Atari, all previous winners of the Eurovision Song Contest
During the party, the representatives of the eight consulates shared trivia facts about the contest, and the artists who performed in the Eurovision this year sent their greetings to the San Francisco community through short videos played on stage. Michael Ben David, the Israeli contestant of 2022, sent his message as well, applauding this “celebration of freedom and music.” Indeed, this party was an opportunity to share the values of pluralism and inclusion that Israel’s culture promotes to a broader audience.
The party was also a reminder of the importance of peace and international collaboration as the guests were encouraged to support Ukraine by donating to organizations such as UNHCR and ICRC.
Despite the fact that most Americans are not familiar with Eurovision, the club was packed with local crowd celebrating freedom, diversity and music. I was surprised that our beloved “Hallelujah” was the most requested song of the evening. We are already planning the 2023 event, hopefully with Israel as the big winner, says Matan Zamir, Deputy Consul General.