Israeli singer and multidisciplinary artist Neta Elkayam has found an unexpected connection to New Orleans, drawn by the city’s rich cultural tapestry and its parallels to her own heritage. Known for her work rooted in North African Jewish traditions, Elkayam describes New Orleans as “perfectly broken,” a quality she finds deeply familiar and reflective of both her personal and artistic identity.

Elkayam’s bond with the city centers on its vibrant musical culture, which she sees as a form of resilience and survival closely mirroring Jewish historical experience. She noted that music in New Orleans serves as a means of honoring the dead, preserving history, and conveying community stories—practices that resonate with Jewish traditions passed down through generations.

Born and raised in Netivot, Israel, Elkayam is the daughter of Moroccan immigrants. Her father hailed from Tinghir, a central Moroccan city, while her mother was from Casablanca. Both sides of her family have Amazigh roots, belonging to an indigenous North African ethnic group that includes a Jewish minority settled in Morocco. Growing up, Elkayam navigated two cultural worlds: the heritage brought by her parents and the Israeli society in which she was raised.

Despite the familial efforts to transmit culture through music, food, and memories, Elkayam encountered conflicting messages outside her home. She was taught to fear Islamic and Arab cultural influences, even as she witnessed her grandmother maintaining amicable relations with Palestinian and Muslim neighbors back in Morocco. These contrasting realities did not unsettle Elkayam but rather sparked her curiosity, leading to a transformative trip to Morocco at age 28.

During that visit, Elkayam discovered the vast reach of her grandmother’s language, Arabic, spoken by some 40 million people, creating a profound sense of connection across cultures. Returning to Israel, she reevaluated her life in Tel Aviv, where she had been studying art and exhibiting in galleries. The realization of her cultural links encouraged her to pursue a more direct engagement with the language and heritage that shaped her family’s narrative.

Elkayam’s journey underscores the complexities faced by children of immigrants who negotiate identity across multiple cultural landscapes. Her experience in New Orleans highlights how music and history can bridge divides, fostering resilience in communities shaped by displacement and memory.