“My goal is simple yet profound – to celebrate our shared Jewish identity” – Interview with Bat Ella
On Sunday, 7 December, the museum will host an intimate solo performance by acclaimed Israeli singer, Bat Ella. In this interview we talk about her musical journey, finding her Jewish identity and her upcoming Chanukah concert.
Bat Ella is an acclaimed Israeli singer whose career has taken her across the USA, Europe, and Israel. She has released six albums, numerous singles, and appeared at major cultural festivals around the world, including Limmud UK. Blending soulful Israeli melodies with timeless Jewish classics, her warm, expressive presence creates a musical experience that bridges cultures, generations, and traditions.
We’re delighted to host her in Manchester for the very first time.
Book tickets for Bat Ella: Songs of Light
Hello Bat Ella! We are very excited about your upcoming Chanukah concert, the first live show in Manchester! To begin, could you introduce yourself to our readers and share a bit about your musical style, your artistic journey, and what audiences can expect from your work?
Shalom, nice to meet you all. My name is Bat Ella and I’m an Israeli singer song-writer and cultural entrepreneur. I’m a Sabra, born and raised in the southern city of Dimona to Jerusalemite parents whose roots originate in Aleppo (Syria) and Persia.
I would describe my musical style as multicultural – a tapestry of sounds and colours that reflect the spirit of Israel in 2025. My work weaves together diverse musical worlds: Israeli song, Jewish classics ranging from traditional to contemporary, and original compositions – some written especially for me, and some created by me in recent years. I have released six albums so far, with the seventh on its way.
Israel is my home base, where I perform in a wide variety of venues – from renowned clubs to concert halls. Sometimes I appear with a dream band of seven outstanding musicians, sometimes in an intimate acoustic setting, and at times it’s just me and the piano, creating a direct and personal conversation with the audience. In addition, I lead a range of enlightening master classes on Israeli culture, lead communal singing events, and create musical Kabbalat Shabbat and Havdalah services.
Over the past decade, I’ve been performing internationally as well, throughout Jewish communities in the US, Europe and South America both a solo artist and in collaboration with other leading artists. It always so exciting to perform alongside local musicians, singers, congregational choirs and Cantors.
There are a few guiding key ideas that shape my shows and I always try to bring them to life on stage. Above all, I want every performance to be an uplifting, joyful experience – fun, engaging, and full of energy with an audience that sings, dances, connects and feels. My goal is always to bring people closer together – ‘Kiruv Levavot” and elevate the spirit. And that’s exactly what I hope to create in Manchester. I’m truly excited and looking forward to this show!
How did your musical journey begin? What inspired you to start singing?
My musical journey began long ago, in our home in Dimona. Even as a very young child, I was known as the singer of the family, the neighbourhood, and the entire community.
I grew up in a neighbourhood that was a kind of miniature Israeli melting pot, a remarkable human mosaic. All that diversity flowed straight into our home: in the sounds, the colours, the music, the food, and the traditions. To that mix, I added the beautiful heritage and customs my parents carried with them from their own childhood homes.
Music was the heartbeat of our house. We had an incredible collection of records – Israeli and international — and music was always playing in the background. We even had a dedicated music room, something rare and extraordinary for that time. We were basically Dimona’s version of the Partridge Family. All my brothers and sister played instruments, and together we became the family band, responsible for the music and the joy at every family celebration. Just behind our house stood the city’s music conservatory, which became like a second home to me.
In fact, for as long as I can remember, I’ve always been on stage – in one form or another. After my army service as a singer in the Performing Art Troops, I decided to take a short break from music and explore other fields for a while. I completed a B.A. at The Hebrew University in Jerusalem in Middle Eastern Studies and Political Science. But music found its way back to me very quickly. When it’s in your blood — it’s in your blood!
In previous interviews, you’ve spoken about how your time in the United States, and encountering new Jewish musical and spiritual influences, helped you explore and redefine your own Jewish identity. Could you tell us more about that period in your life and how it shaped who you are today, both personally and artistically?
My “love story” with American Judaism began when I was 16, when I travelled to the U.S. as part of a youth delegation from the Israeli Scouts and performed with the “Friendship Caravan” band in Jewish communities and summer camps. That was the first time I encountered a different kind of Judaism – egalitarian, pluralistic. I didn’t fully grasp the meaning back then, but the seeds were planted.
My second shlichut after the army, through the Jewish Agency as a song leader in American summer camps, sharpened the picture even more – but still didn’t create a real inner shift. The true change happened years later, in a very clear and transformative way, when I moved to the U.S. with my partner, Danny, after finishing my studies, and we built our family there with our four children.
Until then, I had grown up with a very rigid, binary understanding of Judaism, either “religious” or “secular,” and that was it. Realizing that there was more than one way to be Jewish was surprising, refreshing, and deeply meaningful for me. Being able to sit together with my entire family in synagogue, not behind a curtain or on a separate floor, or seeing a woman lead the service or read from the Torah, were completely new experiences for me, and incredibly inviting. Suddenly, going to synagogue felt beautiful and comfortable. I connected with the world of prayer, I fell in love with the texts, and I felt at home.
I became so captivated by the world of Jewish learning that I chose to become a serious student of it – “talmidat chachamim” – delving deeper and expanding my knowledge, a path I’m still on today.
As a woman who lives a secular lifestyle, I also discovered that there is more than one way to be secular. You can live a fully secular life and still give tradition and spirituality a meaningful and honoured place in your home. The Jewish bookshelf – Aron HaSfarim HaYehudi – is a treasure that belongs to all of us. When I turn to it, it’s not out of obligation or because I feel commanded to do so, but because for me it is a wellspring of inspiration and wisdom and everyone can benefit from it.
You had a meaningful relationship with Debbie Friedman, whose music and philosophy deeply influenced your work. How did meeting her impact you?
During my years in the U.S., I had the great privilege of meeting the legendary Jewish-American singer and songwriter Debbie Friedman, one of the foundational figures of American Jewish music. Beyond the beautiful friendship that grew between us, and the concerts we performed together across the U.S. and Europe, Debbie became a source of inspiration and a powerful musical role model for me. The revolutions she sparked – I embraced them, and I continue them in my own way to this day.
Her ability to help people fall in love with their Judaism again…The respect and centrality she gave to the female voice in Jewish life…and the profound shift she created in synagogue prayer, moving the focus from the cantor to the community, empowering everyone to participate through the transformative power of communal singing. These values continue to guide me and are deeply present in everything I do.
Much of your work centres on building bridges, between cultures, generations, and different expressions of Jewish identity. What would you say is your mission as an artist? What do you hope people feel or discover through your music?
As an artist who has the privilege of performing both in Israel and around the world, I feel a deep responsibility to use my music as a cultural bridge between us here in Israel and our brothers and sisters in the Diaspora. Israel is part of our story as a people but it is not the entire story, and this is why it is so important to protect, honour, and cherish our connection with Jewish communities across the globe.
My goal is simple yet profound – to celebrate our shared Jewish identity – “Jewish peoplehood”- to set aside disagreements, political opinions, and divisions, and to focus on what unites us. To celebrate everything beautiful that has always made us a strong, resilient people who have overcome difficult chapters throughout history – and who are now facing another one. To remember that our “togetherness” is essential, more than ever.
Music, in my eyes, is a powerful way to reach these goals – gentle, uplifting, non-threatening, and profoundly heart-opening. These are the guiding lights of my work, and I hope the audience can feel them.
This upcoming concert celebrates Chanukah, a festival of light, resilience, and renewal. What makes this Manchester performance special in the context of the holiday and the message you want to bring?
Some believe those miracles came from God, others see them as the work of human hands. Each holds to their own faith. But at its heart, Chanukah is a celebration of hope and optimism—values I hold deeply. Yes, the reality we face now is unbearably hard, and we must cling tightly to whatever strength we have. Yet I truly believe, with all my heart, that good will ultimately prevail. We must not fall into despair or let our hope fade. We are a people who choose life, who choose joy, and we cannot afford to let go of those anchors.
What’s next for you on your musical journey? Are there new projects, collaborations, or visions you’re excited to share with us?
The next musical chapter in my journey is the release of my new, seventh, album. It is an album of original music – songs written for me, and many songs I wrote myself. After years of hesitation and fear I finally gathered the courage to open the door to my own creative writing – and it feels wonderful!
I’m incredibly excited for this moment, and – without promises but with much hope – I plan to launch the album this coming February in a big, festive concert in Tel Aviv and YOU are soooo warmly invited!
