Metzoke Dragot, The Dead Sea, Israel
spirit of israel festival
a festival of joy and healing
An international festival of hope and healing
Eilon Kotler is from Kibbutz Kfar Aza, where he survived the massacre on October 7th. 64 people were murdered, 19 taken hostage, and 5 are still missing. Homes were burned, and entire families were lost. Among the victims was his best friend, Nadav Amikam.
Faced with despair, Eilon chose hope. He started sharing his story of October 7th and the life of the Israeli people after it. During a trip to Australia, Eilon reconnected with Shira Livne, a childhood friend. Shira shared Eilon's desire to do something positive amid the darkness. She left her job as the Director of Growth in Australia to come to Israel to help create this festival.
Inspired by the strength of their friendship during this difficult time, they saw a way to reach their goals. Together, they came up with "The Spirit of Israel" festival — a celebration of Israel not just as a place, but as a source of shared hope and connection.
metsoke dragot, the dead sea, israel
Music
Live music & DJs take over our Desert stage as the sun sets
Art Journeys
Art installations and immersive experiences across the mountain
Experiences
Workshops and unique activities. Don’t miss our matchmaking tent!
Dead Sea Sessions
Motivational speakers and comedians perform on our Dead Sea stage
Lights Over The Mountains
Video mapping art installation across the mountains at night
The Shuk
Our market lining the main road of the festival with food and Israeli designers
First Candle of Hanukkah
Spread the light with us on the first night of our festival
Chill Zones
Spaces with comfy seating pop up across the festival grounds.
help create our shared Israeli story
find out first
2 nights, 3 days of healing & connection
music
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Israel — Rapper & Singer
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Israel | Singer
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art
talks
Pre-festival events
Building our community and sharing joy is part of our DNA. We’ve been holding pre-festival ambassador nights since March 2024 to engage our ever-growing festival family.
our team
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![Eilon Kotler]()
Eilon Kotler
co-founder + co-director
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![Shira Livne]()
Shira Livne
co-founder + co-director
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![Karen Barzilay]()
Karen Barzilay
creative producer
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![Maia Brint]()
Maia Brint
community outreach coordinator
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![noa barzilay]()
noa barzilay
art director
our supporters
faqs
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We are about people over politics. This is a chance to step away from the things that divide us and come together.
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As soon as we lock in our seed funding. Be part of making this festival happen: donate now
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No. This event is designed so that we can pay our artists, talent, and crew. We want to support Israelis by giving them the confidence and payment they deserve for their exceptional skills. There will be volunteer options for those who wish to receive a discounted ticket.
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We are working closely with the army, a security team and local police to give our festival goers a calm and peaceful experience.