Keren Peles, Songwriter of Israel Eurovision songs “Oct Rain” and A New Day Will Rise” Delivers Incredible Concert at Rady JCC’s J Fest
Out of all of the many concerts I’ve been to over many years with Israeli performers, Keren Peles’s concert on Nov 2, ( at the opening night of the Rady JCC’s J Fest) stands out as one of the very very best.
Peles, whose concert was sponsored by the Asper Foundation, performed at the Seven Oaks Performing Arts Centre, and was completely engaging in Hebrew, English and some French. But more than that she injected much humour throughout the show and was an outstanding performer. Peles wrote the song originally entitled October Rain with Avi Ohayon and Stav Berger. The song was perceived to be a political message in support of Israel’s war in Gaza and the European Broadcasting Union , which manages the Eurovision Song Contest requested a rewrite of the song in late February 2024. Originally the Israel broadcaster was going to refuse to change the words. Peles is a member of the Israeli committee for the Eurovision contest and Peles explained at her concert that she was in favour of rewriting the words because “we should not be evacuated from the world stage” and not present an Israel entry to the song contest. Peles also noted that no matter what the words of the song were, the music would be heard everywhere and it would be “remembered.” She is correct about that. After multiple versions and rewrites a final version entitled “Hurricane” was agreed to and the song placed 5th.The song was sung by Yuval Rafael, who survived Oct 7 by hiding in a bomb shelter after she fled the Nova Festival. The song in both variations, along with Golan herself, faced numerous unsuccessful calls for its exclusion from the contest. To hear Peles perform the song was breathtaking as she represents the will of Israel and the Jewish people to survive after Oct 7. (In an interview with The New York Times, Peles also stated that that the song was not solely influenced by the conflict, but was in part inspired by a recent divorce she had gone through. Peles further stated that the song was meant to reflect the general topic of the "importance of strength in tough moments). Peles also performed A New Day will Rise” , the 2025 Israeli Eurovision song that won second place, which was performed by Yuval Pafael.
Peles described how she went to Hostages Square in Tel-Aviv “as often as I could” and she “got to know” the parents of the hostages personally, and how the faces of the parents completely changed once their captive children returned. Peles and Raphael went to the Hostages Square when the live hostages were due to return on Saturday evening and sang a new version of the song to reflect the joy of the hostages being released. Peles performed the song in Hebrew, while Raphael sang the song in English to a cheering and jubilant crowd.
Peles, age 46, jested throughout the performance how she writes songs about all her ex-boyfriends and at one point noted that “Men are like avocadoes. Not ready, Not ready, oops, oops, rotten.” There were many Israelis in the crowd who sang the Hebrew words to some of the songs during the concert. Peles arrived in Winnipeg several days before the concert and drove up to Flynn Flon Manitoba to see the northern lights. She said she’d like to return to see the polar bears in Churchill. “Are there any Jews in Churchill? she asked.
Peles had the crowd eating out of her hand early on in the concert when she sang the Beatles song "Let it be" in both English and Hebrew.
