The war with Iran is over (for now), and there's lots of hopeful talk in the news these days: an end to the war in Gaza, expansion of the Abraham Accords, and who knows what else? Despite never knowing a day of peace, Israelis have always been hopeful that it was just around the corner. Of course, Israeli music reflects that hope in so many tunes, past and present. This week on Israel Hour Radio, Josh latches on to that hope, bringing you a selection of songs about hope and optimism, old and bra...
Jun 29, 2025•1 hr 1 min
Amidst the backdrop of war with Iran...amidst the euphoria of America's (hopefully) successful strike on Iran's nuclear program...amidst a week of sirens, safe rooms, and stress...the Israeli music scene continues to thrive. While Israelis found themselves running to shelters at all hours of the day and night, Israeli radio stations did their best to maintain a sense of normalcy, keeping us entertained with the voices of our favorite Israeli artists. What's playing on the radio during this time ...
Jun 22, 2025•1 hr 4 min
Israel is at war. Israelis are running to shelters multiple times throughout the day and night. Despite a growing string of simply miraculous events, many lives have been lost and many homes and structures have been destroyed. And yes, we are all a little on edge. But no matter what our enemies destroy, they can't destroy our spirit - the greatest weapon Israelis possess! Join us for Josh's firsthand perspective into the past few days of war, and stay tuned as we attempt to put our minds a bit m...
Jun 15, 2025•1 hr 2 min
Recorded mere hours after Yuval Raphael brought immense pride to her country, this week's podcast finds us all in great spirits. So while still basking in glow of Israel's SECOND PLACE finish in this year's Eurovision, we figured today is a good day to hop into the Israeli Music Time Machine, whisking us back to the last time Israel won the contest. It also happened to be a fantastic year for Israeli music! Welcome to the Israeli songs of 2018 - filled with incredible tunes by Hanan Ben Ari, Sta...
May 18, 2025•1 hr 7 min
Eurovision week is finally here! As Yuval Refael prepares to represent Israel in Switzerland with bravery, grace, and honor, we take the opportunity to dive into one of our favorite topics: the Pre-Eurovision (aka 'Kdam')! Back before reality singing contests were a thing, Israel would select its song for the Eurovision with a special 'Pre-Eurovision' contest - in which Israel's best and brightest singers would compete for the honor of representing the blue and white. Many of Israel's most belov...
May 11, 2025•1 hr 7 min
Happy 77th birthday, Israel! After the frightening wildfires plaguing Central Israel on Yom HaZikaron 2025, this year's Independence Day certainly started off unlike any other. But that didn't stop us from celebrating Israel's 77th in grand fashion! Join Josh Shron as he recaps this year's best musical moments...from new songs, viral videos, and amazing performances at this year's 'unusual' Torch Lighting ceremony on Mount Herzl. We'll also throw in some uplifting, patriotic music released since...
May 04, 2025•1 hr 4 min
The pain of Yom Hazikaron - Israel's Memorial Day - has always been very real and very raw, affecting nearly every home in Israel in some way. But this year, it just feels different. The sad songs take on new meaning. The painful stories are just too numerous. And just this week, we buried more soldiers as part of our 77+ year struggle for existence. Although EVERY day can feel like Yom Hazikaron in Israel, this year hits differently. Join us on Israel Hour Radio as we honor the memories of thos...
Apr 27, 2025•1 hr 11 min
Passover is upon us once again. And once again, this year's observance includes equal parts celebration and desperation. As we celebrate the Jewish holiday of freedom, we can't help but think of the 59 hostages who are not at all free. We think of the men and women of the IDF who will not be at their families' seder tables this year. We remember those who have lost their lives since last Pesach, as well as ALL those missing from the seder table. So this week on Israel Hour Radio, yes, we'll cele...
Apr 06, 2025•59 min
It seems like everywhere you go in Israel these days, you constantly hear the word 'Amen'. 'May we hear good news!' 'Amen!' 'Wishing your son success and safety in the IDF!' 'Amen!' This is not, of course, a new phenomenon. 'Amen' is a word that often comes up in Israeli music as well. Off the top of your head, many of you can likely come up with a few right off the bat. Well, if you can think it, we're playing it today. Enjoy 60 minutes of positive, uplifting Israeli music, all centered around ...
Mar 30, 2025•59 min
As war, protests, political disputes, and daily rocket fire continue in our homeland, Israel's entertainment scene continues to thrive. Maybe that's one reason why we continue to be ranked among the happiest countries in the world! Today, we're proud to keep you up to date with the latest and greatest in Israeli music, with the songs blaring on radios and Spotify playlists throughout the country. You'll hear new tunes from Shlomo Artzi, Rita, Subliminal v'HaTzel, Itay Levy, an AMAZING new song b...
Mar 23, 2025•59 min
Ladies and gentlemen, we are proud to present Israel's official entry to Eurovision 2025, "New Day Will Rise" by Yuval Rafael. And while we're at it, it's been a while since we've done an hour of Israeli Eurovision songs, so let's do that today, shall we? But this time, we're going to skip the beloved Israeli classics from the 70s and 80s, focusing instead on our entries over the past 25 years, since 2000. With a lot of big hits and even a few misses, you're sure to hear some songs you haven't h...
Mar 16, 2025•1 hr 5 min
We all know - all too well - that the past 17 months have been painful and emotional to say the least. But with Purim on the way, it's a good time to allow ourselves to smile and laugh. Purim reminds us that sometimes, when life looks as dark as can be, the most incredible miracles suddenly come to life. That things are not always what they seem. That life can change dramatically at the drop of a hat. So this Purim, we're giving ourselves permission to LAUGH by sharing humorous Israeli songs alo...
Mar 09, 2025•1 hr
The news cycle has so many ups and downs these days, that it can be hard to remember the specific highs and lows. Back on February 8, 2025, Hamas released three hostages: Ohad Ben Ami, Eli Sharabi, and Or Levy. Sure, we were overjoyed that they were back home with their families, but we felt downright sick upon seeing their emaciated bodies and pained expressions. As we try to process these emotions...it's suddenly time to go on the air. What could we possibly play during a time like this? Well,...
Feb 09, 2025•1 hr 3 min
Ready to go back to the year of "We Are the World", New Coke, Live Aid...and a heck of a lot of amazing Israeli music? Buckle your seatbelts, 'cuz we're going back FORTY years...all the way to 1985! In the midst of today's period of sadness, emotion, and national trauma, we need a week of upbeat music...and the Israeli music of 1985 sure fit the bill. If you're a fan of Ofra Haza, Yardena Arazi, Meir Banai, Ilanit, Shalom Hanoch, and many more....you'll LOVE this week's playlist! You'll hear som...
Feb 02, 2025•1 hr 8 min
We've had a big 30th anniversary celebration, devoted a show to 'counting down' to the new year, and celebrated our first hostages coming home. So what haven't we done lately? Share new Israeli music. Well, let's rectify that today, shall we? This week, we present the most popular Israeli songs of the past few weeks, many of which reflect the challenging times in which we continue to find ourselves. You'll hear songs of joy over the release of hostages, songs of survival during these difficult t...
Jan 26, 2025•1 hr 5 min
The day we recorded this podcast was a pivotal day in the State of Israel. After 471 days in captivity, the first Israeli hostages were finally released from the dungeons of Gaza - and Emily, Doron, and Romi were finally on their way home. With the freedom of our hostages, and the simultaneous release of countless terrorists, it was an emotional day, to say the least. There was little we could do but play songs about 'home', amidst tears and smiles over the powerful images we were watching on TV...
Jan 19, 2025•1 hr 3 min
Happy New Year! For our first official show of 2025, let's do something light and fun for a change. Have you ever noticed how many Israeli songs have numbers in their titles? Well, one of our listeners decided to create a massive spreadsheet with all of the 'number songs' he could find. So this week, we present a unique hour of 'countdown' songs...all songs featuring numbers in their titles! From ten to one, we'll play songs to help ring in 2025 in style. A huge thanks to our friend Rich for mak...
Jan 12, 2025•1 hr 4 min
An episode 30 years in the making! On Chanukah 1994, Josh Shron and his then-girlfriend (now wife) Mairov Dubrovsky wandered into the WRSU Studios as Rutgers University students, and began their radio careers by playing 'Hora' by Avi Toledano. That episode flourished into a full fledged obsession over Israel and its culture, and Josh hasn't looked back. This week, Mairov and Josh are BACK where it all began 30 years ago, at WRSU Studios, for their official 30th anniversary celebration! We have a...
Dec 29, 2024•1 hr 9 min
It's week 2 of Josh's 30th anniversary celebration, in which he plays back his favorite songs from each of his 30 years on Israel Hour Radio! This week, enjoy a fun playlist of Josh's favorites from 2010 through 2024, including many now-classic songs guaranteed to get you singing along. In his 30 years on the air, Josh has celebrated Israel through music and culture, amassing a large following of English speakers who share his passion for our homeland. All month long, Josh celebrates 30 years at...
Dec 08, 2024•1 hr 8 min
On Sunday, December 4, 1994, Josh Shron walked into the studios of WRSU Radio, cracked open the microphone, and never looked back. Ever since, he's celebrated Israel through music and culture, amassing a large following of English speakers who share his passion for our homeland. All month long, Josh celebrates 30 years at the helm of Israel Hour Radio, by looking back at some of the memorable moments along the way. Beginning this week, Josh plays some of his favorite Israeli songs from each of t...
Dec 01, 2024•1 hr 9 min
This week, families across the USA gathered for Thanksgiving...a holiday that's become a day about food, football and shopping...but SHOULD be about gratitude. Thankfully (see what I did there?), Israelis tend to be pretty good about expressing appreciation for things that are important to them, in real life and in song. So today we present a playlist of Israeli songs about gratitude and appreciation for blessings large and small, from nature to family to love to our beloved homeland. Have we me...
Nov 24, 2024•1 hr 1 min
Did you go to a Jewish summer camp as a kid? If so, there's a very good chance you sang and listened to a LOT of Israeli music while you were there. For many, camp is an introduction to Hebrew, Zionism, and Israeli culture, with plenty of great music surrounding campers every single day. So when we asked the Israeli Music Community to tell us about the songs they learned in camp, they sent a LONG list! This week on Israel Hour Radio, we present YOUR favorite Israeli songs from camp, as our liste...
Nov 17, 2024•1 hr 10 min
It's always fun to sample the latest and greatest Israeli music, to keep up to date with the sound of Israel in real time. But these days, new Israeli music takes many forms. Some songs help us escape the realities of 2024 Israel, while others drag us right into the middle. And so, as we look into the best new music of the past few weeks, we'll hear the best of both worlds: the songs that are just plain fun, plus a selection of songs released to mark the first anniversary of October 7. Prepare f...
Nov 10, 2024•58 min
Remember life without smartphones? It's hard to believe that in 2007, the world was first being introduced to the original iPhone. Look at how much our lives have changed in the 17 years since then! You might debate whether our lives have gotten better or worse...but what's not debatable is how much you'll enjoy the greatest Israeli hits of 2007! Let's hop into the Israeli Music Time Machine, and set the dial to 2007, shall we? We'll find a musical treasure chest, full of incredible Israeli song...
Nov 03, 2024•1 hr 8 min
How are you dealing with the clock change? We 'fell back' in Israel on October 27, and most did so in the USA a week later. Seems that many of us have been hyper-focused on the time of day ever since, right? 'It's only 5pm...how does it already feel like midnight?' Well, with all this talk about time, it seemed like a good *time* to play songs about TIME on Israel Hour Radio! The time will certainly pass quickly as you spend quality time with this week's episode, having a good time listening to ...
Oct 27, 2024•1 hr
Chag Sameach! Sukkot is known as “Zman Simchatenu” – the time of our joy. But after the year we’ve had – and with the yahrtzeit of those who lost their lives on October 7 coming up this week - joy is not so easy to come by nowadays. Still, we’re going to try to lift your spirits just a bit this holiday by playing Israeli songs that can INSTANTLY put a smile on your face. Some songs can magically transform your day, after just a few notes. Thanks to our wonderful Israeli Music Community on Facebo...
Oct 20, 2024•1 hr
Whether or not you're a practicing Jew, we can all get behind the idea of praying for a good new year. That's why this year's Yom Kippur observance was probably the most meaningful, the most inspirational, the most powerful in most of our lifetimes. With concern for our troops in the north and south, Israel under constant missile fire, prayers for the 101 hostages held in Gaza, and increased antisemitism around the world, we certainly had a lot to pray for this year. So when Galgalatz radio aske...
Oct 13, 2024•1 hr 3 min
Each year around this time, we look back at the most popular Israeli music of the past Jewish year. This, however, was no ordinary year. With war, hostages, loss, and fear dominating the headlines all year long, the music of 5784 had to rise to the occasion - providing comfort, strength, and inspiration. Well, sort of. While many of the year's most popular songs did just that, others offered a short respite...a diversion from the tragedies that unfolded around us. So as we look back at the top s...
Oct 06, 2024•1 hr 3 min
Recorded on the day after Israel's elimination of Hassan Nasrallah, this podcast brings with it a wide range of emotions. We're elated over Israel's military success, but still feeling the pain of coming to Rosh Hashana with our hostages still not home. To make things worse, the anniversary of October 7th is only a few days away, and those painful memories are still very fresh in our minds. Yes, it's been a rough year for Israel, and for Jews around the world. But as we approach Rosh Hashana, we...
Sep 29, 2024•1 hr 4 min
After WAY too many weeks away, Israel Hour Radio is proud to return to the airwaves - broadcasting from Israel! While we were gone, Israel's best and brightest musical stars released some amazing new tunes. As always, we consider it our solemn duty to make sure you're caught up on the latest in Israeli music! Join us this week for a countdown of the most-played songs on Israeli radio, and walk away with a snapshot of what Israeli culture looks like RIGHT NOW. Yes, Israel is going through some te...
Sep 22, 2024•1 hr 2 min
