The Jerusalem Youth Chorus Brings a Harmonious Call for Change to Culturefix

At Meridian’s 2025 Culturefix Conversations, it wasn’t a keynote or a panel that most viscerally captured the stakes of cultural diplomacy—it was song. 

Taking the stage to a full house, the Jerusalem Youth Chorus (JYC) delivered more than a stirring performance. They delivered a deeply human, profoundly courageous invitation to listen. Under the direction of founder and artistic director Micah Hendler and executive director Amer Mohammad, the chorus offered a living example of how music can hold what politics often cannot—grief, complexity, and a vision for coexistence rooted not in agreement, but in shared humanity. 

Opening with a rendition of Home by Phillip Phillips, the group’s performance was grounded in both beauty and bravery. Hendler introduced the group not just as performers, but as peacebuilders: a small delegation of high school students and alumni who rehearse weekly in Jerusalem—across difference, across division, and often, across heartbreak.  

“We come together not because we agree on everything,” Hendler said, “but because we believe in something deeper: that every person deserves to be seen, to be heard, and to be valued for their full humanity.” 

Hendler then introduced two longtime members, Amer and Yaara—both of whom now serve on JYC’s staff—who offered personal reflections on their experiences in the chorus.  

Amer, a Palestinian from Jerusalem, described growing up with a sense of invisibility and fear—learning to hide his identity to feel safe in his own city. He recalled his first JYC concert in 2014, where for the first time, he held a microphone and sang in public—finding a voice he had been told he didn’t deserve. 

“Being in the chorus is the most Palestinian thing I can do,” he said. “Because we empower each other to sing for a different path.” 

Yaara, an Israeli harpist and longtime member of the chorus, shared the story of playing music in the ruins of a kindergarten in the kibbutz of Nir Oz, after the October 7 attacks. She described how she turned to her music as a bridge—and to the chorus as a place of healing and hope. 

“Our rehearsals each week are a glimpse of a future we all want,” she said. “One where people feel safe, seen, and connected—no matter where they’re from.” 

Their stories were not easy. As Yaara said plainly, “A lot of people don’t want us to be on this stage together.” But in a world increasingly defined by polarization, the chorus’s presence was a countercultural act of moral imagination.  

The performance closed with an original song, A Different Way, echoing the chorus’s core message: that while paths to peace are never easy, they are possible—and worth pursuing. 

Thanks to the generous support of the Bernstein Family Foundation, Meridian was honored to host the Jerusalem Youth Chorus. Their performance was not only a highlight of the day—it was a masterclass in what it means to harness culture and choose connection, even in the face of despair. And that, too, is diplomacy.