A Moment That Changed Everything: An Interview with Artist Odelia Berlin

Getting to Know Odelia Berlin

"I'm Odelia Berlin, living in Ramat HaSharon, musician, and singer-songwriter."

A Childhood Memory That Stays With You?

"I grew up in a home filled with music, especially Chassidic nighuns and klezmer tunes. I’ve been playing since I was four and a half, and I barely read music. I play from the heart. The piano is an extension of my fingers. I can't imagine my life without music. It shapes my perspective on life—something I got from my father, Mussa Berlin. Music is a way of life, a worldview, a way to look at people and live."

"I remember once when I heard a melody as a child, I suddenly felt like I knew it. When asked how I knew, I confidently said, 'I know it from inside my mother's womb.' I no longer remember the tune, but I remember the certainty of that feeling."

What Does a Typical Day Look Like for You?

"Of course, there is a before and after COVID. Normally, I teach music two days a week at the 'Rashit School' in Gush Etzion, integrating regular and special education. I love it. On other days, I focus on my musical creation: rehearsals, meetings, and so on."

"My father and his musician friends always told me: ‘Make sure you have another profession besides music, so music remains your art, untouched by external pressures.’ I'm blessed to earn well from music, but I don't rely on it solely. This makes my art freer and more liberated. Filling a concert hall one day and teaching first-graders the next brings balance. Meeting the kids also sparks creativity on both sides. Especially during the pandemic, having another job was crucial for my soul and stability."

An Inspirational Figure From Judaism?

"Rabbi Levi Yitzchak of Berdichev and Rabbi Elimelech of Lizhensk. Both had great love for Israel and a unique worldview. In both, the traits of kindness and truth blended beautifully."

What in Judaism Moves You the Most?

"Many things about Judaism move me. Once, an atheist colleague asked, 'And what if you discover it's all a lie and there's no afterlife?' I replied, 'Even if none of it is true, I’d choose to live my life this way.' Of course, I have no doubts about the truth of Judaism."

"I think Judaism is a very beautiful and correct way to live, socially, family-wise, and personally. I love the peace of Shabbat, the ability to infuse energy into everything through blessings, and the opportunity to pray for home sustenance through challah baking and more. Personally, I resonate with Chassidic paths, focusing more on spiritual intentions rather than mere details."

How Present is Hashem in Your Life and How Does It Affect Your Work?

"He is present all the time, and if more than 100% was possible, then more. My career is one big divine assistance. Hashem is always with me. When I take the stage, I know He’s there. I always leave room for Him. I don’t use a fixed setlist. I plan generally but let the moment guide me. I try to feel what's right at each moment and let Hashem lead. There’s me, the audience, and what's between us—called the Creator. As it's said in Aramaic, 'There’s no place devoid of Him.'"

A Memorable Encounter or Conversation?

"A particularly intriguing period was when I took a break from life to study for two years at the ‘Rimon School of Music.’ Mixing my music world—mainly rooted in Chassidic melodies and Israeli songs—with contemporary music brought out wonderful things in me, some of which I plan to publish soon. I feel I received music as a gift from Hashem, so I treat it with reverence. The ability to touch people’s hearts is a privilege and responsibility demanding seriousness."

A Mitzvah Particularly Close to Your Heart?

"‘Love your neighbor as yourself, I am Hashem.’ The way we treat others holds great significance in serving Hashem. Equally important is valuing and loving ourselves. This, in my view, is key to fulfilling the mitzvah of ‘loving others’ and all acts of love for the Creator."

Share Something Interesting or Moving About Your Family

"I'm the youngest in my family, which allowed me to be a bit different, a bit unique. When you’re the youngest, everyone supports you but, in a way, you also support everyone. And yes, while my worldview differs somewhat from my siblings, we share a strong and unique bond. Recently, I celebrated my birthday, and all my siblings and nephews, even those without computers, gathered to surprise me with a Zoom birthday full of funny life questions. It was touching and joyous."

A Significant Study Experience?

"I studied the Tanya for several years, and it deeply resonated with my soul. Now, I'm pursuing a master’s in Jewish music, taking courses in Midrash and Aggadah. I study in an institution focused on the academic perspective of Judaism, and integrating this with Chassidism within me is fascinating, yielding interesting outcomes. I thoroughly enjoy it, gaining immense creative inspiration."

A Holiday You Have a Special Connection With?

"Purim. I celebrate it twice each year—both in Jerusalem and another place. On Purim, you can set aside your intellect and simply feel beloved by Hashem, without any conditions. Truly, everything is in Purim. The renewal of Rosh Hashanah, the redemption of Pesach, receiving the Torah on Shavuot, and more. All of it in simplicity and joy."

A Meaningful Prayer Experience?

"My best-known show, ‘Ochila,’ was born from a great love for prayer songs, yet a personal struggle with prayer. On Yom Kippur, the spiritual climax of the year, I often found myself in the synagogue confronting thoughts like ‘Am I good enough?’ ‘Do I truly mean it?’ and ‘What do others think of me?’ along with the pressure of understanding that this is the critical moment before the gates close."

"Over a decade ago, I decided to give myself a gift for my birthday—a meeting with Etti Ankri. At the time, I was already leading get-togethers and performing songs by others but really wanted to start performing my own material. I admired and valued Etti, believing she could help. Before meeting her, I burned a CD with all my original songs, though they weren’t enough, so I included some covers, mainly songs based on scriptures and prayer excerpts."

"I began playing my songs for her, and each time a prayer song, especially live ones with the background chorus of women's voices, came on, she’d say, ‘Hey, stop a moment. This is amazing.’ I especially wanted her to hear my songs, so I’d say, ‘No, it’s nothing, let’s move on,’ and switch to more of my works. I focused on my songs, and she on prayer songs. Leaving that meeting, I realized I had something substantial. What initially seemed like a stopgap to me suddenly carried weight. I understood I could sing songs I didn't create yet still own them, performing them in my unique way. Initially thinking I'd eventually move away from prayer songs, I now know they will always be with me."

"A year and a half later, as Yom Kippur approached with its beloved prayer melodies, an idea emerged to organize a women’s concert on the eve of Yom Kippur featuring fitting songs, as a preparation for the holy day. Initially, those around me said, ‘You’re crazy, who would come to such an event?’ But I had great faith in it. That’s how the show began."

"We named the show ‘Ochila,’ after the known prayer phrase: ‘Ochila lakel achala panav,’ and we set off. A friend advised me to record the show, but I lacked funds, so she lent me what was needed. The first show was at Beit HaVichai with 180 women attending. The show recording became an album released shortly before the second performance."

"The following year, we held the show at Heichal Shlomo with 360 women, though there wasn’t yet buzz around it. Then, a year later, shortly before the third show, demand skyrocketed. I suddenly received feedback from all sides. When working on an album, I live and hear every note and moment within it, but once released, I let it go. Suddenly, after releasing it, it returned to life with amazing power. Only then did we understand its strength."

"The next year, we were sold out at Heichal Shlomo, with 560 seats. The following year, 650 women sold out Zerah Bechar. The year after that, 900 women at the Jerusalem Theater. The next year, when the theater couldn’t accommodate us, we moved to Binyanei HaUma. It grew each year. Last year, we did two shows at Binyanei HaUma and one in Tel Aviv, reaching about 7,000 women."

"The experience of ‘Ochila’ is indescribable; you must be there to feel and understand it. It’s not my show with the audience passively listening. The audience is fully engaged from the start. In this, I feel a great responsibility, so I'm deeply invested spiritually and materially."

"Also, it’s crucial for me that it’s done with elegance. I strive to maintain a high professional standard for my music, not compromising even though most of my audience is religious. I say most because, in recent years, quite a few non-religious women also attend, and I worry it might be too lengthy or religious for them. However, I’ve only received warm feedback so far. One non-religious woman told me at a recent show: ‘Even though I didn’t know all the songs, we all undergo the same emotional journeys.’"

Where Do You See Yourself in Ten Years?

"It’s hard to predict such things. Inside me is always the little girl dreaming and aspiring, and I truly have so much more to achieve and aim for. I hope to reach and touch as many hearts as possible."

Professionally, Are You Where You Imagined You’d Be? How Does It Make You Feel?

"For many years, I dreamt and imagined getting to where I am today. I thank Hashem for it daily and pray to continue being worthy of this gift and using it justly."