Israeli singer and educator Elkayam has carved a unique path by embracing the rich cultural diversity of Jerusalem and connecting it with broader musical traditions from North Africa to the American South. Though friends initially questioned her decision to move from secular Tel Aviv to the religiously and ethnically complex city of Jerusalem, Elkayam found the city’s mosaic of Hasidic, Palestinian, Russian, Ethiopian, and Kurdish communities aligned with her artistic vision.

Her journey deepened as she studied Arabic and began a personal and professional partnership with musician Amit Hai Cohen, whom she later married. While Elkayam had focused primarily on visual arts, Cohen introduced her to music more deeply, bringing a piano into their home and nurturing a collaboration that would reshape her career.

Elkayam had long recognized her vocal ability yet struggled to find her niche in Israel’s competitive music scene. That changed when she began singing in her grandmother’s language, reconnecting with her North African Jewish heritage. Their initial recording—a rendition of a song by a prominent Algerian Jewish singer—was intended as a gift for Elkayam’s mother, but upon sharing it online, they were surprised by the widespread response from listeners across Egypt, Algeria, and France. Many, often Muslim, expressed longing for the Jewish voices and cultural presence that had vanished from their countries.

Motivated by this response, Elkayam and Cohen sought out North African Jewish musicians whose work had largely been forgotten. They documented their stories and integrated these musical traditions into contemporary performances, preserving a once-overlooked cultural legacy.

In 2013, Elkayam returned to Morocco and performed alongside Palestinian musicians from East Jerusalem, marking a symbolic moment of unity onstage as an Israeli Jew and a Palestinian Muslim. The audience’s standing ovation underscored the resonance of collaboration across divides. Elkayam described this experience as a personal “full-circle moment,” connecting her grandmother’s past migration to the present.

Back in Jerusalem, Elkayam and Cohen became established musicians and educators, until an opportunity with BAMAH, an organization connecting Israeli artists with historically Black colleges and universities (HBCUs), led them to accept a semester-long residency at Xavier University in New Orleans, the only Catholic HBCU in the United States.

Their plans were disrupted by the October 7 attacks, which left Elkayam, Cohen, and their two children stranded in Morocco during a tour. What was intended as a weeklong visit extended into nearly three months. After securing U.S. visas through the consulate in Casablanca, the family returned to Israel briefly before relocating to New Orleans under tight time constraints.

At Xavier, Elkayam and Cohen developed a course titled “From Jerusalem to Morocco and Back: A Journey Through Culture and Music.” The course uses music and art to explore themes of identity, memory, and place, encouraging students to engage with their own communities’ histories through documenting songs, rituals, and stories. The program quickly gained popularity, leading the university to extend the couple’s residency indefinitely.

In New Orleans, Elkayam and Cohen merged Moroccan Jewish, Amazigh, and Andalusian musical traditions with elements of rock and jazz, collaborating with local musicians rooted in the city’s jazz heritage. Elkayam emphasized her belief in keeping traditions dynamic, using them creatively rather than preserving them statically.

She describes her multifaceted identity as Israeli and Moroccan, Western and Eastern, encompassing both Jewish and Arabic influences. Speaking on the role of music in political conflicts, she refrains from claiming it as a solution, stating, “I’m not a politician. I have no big answers for the Middle East. The only answer I have is music.” Through her work, Elkayam continues to bridge cultural divides and redefine her place within a complex, intertwined heritage.