Who We Are
Six artists shaped by a shared practice
A Different Way brings together six Israeli and Palestinian emerging artists, all alumni of the Jerusalem Youth Chorus.
As teenagers, they sang with us in The Jerusalem Youth Chorus and took part in dialogue together—including through war. Their work has never depended on agreement. It depends on something more demanding: speaking honestly, listening closely, and continuing to create together without asking one another to set aside their identities or convictions.
Now, they are carrying that practice beyond the rehearsal room. Through a yearlong intensive program, the artists deepen their craft and train as facilitators so they can lead the conversations their music opens.
What Audiences Experience
More than a performance
Music can open a room in ways conversation alone often cannot. A Different Way begins there. Singing together creates a container for us to have hard conversations that transform the way we see ourselves, one another, and the world around us.
Each experience weaves together live performance, first-person stories, community singing, and facilitated dialogue. Audiences meet our first alumni collective cohort—six distinct individuals, each with their own truths, perspectives, and lived realities—speaking from their own experience while creating something together.
They do not offer easy answers or a polished story of unity. They offer an honest look at what it takes to listen deeply, speak openly, and create together while making room for both common ground and real disagreement. They inspire vision and action for a shared future.
Experience A Different Way
A Different Way offers flexible engagements that can be shaped around your audience, setting, and goals. At a time when communities are struggling to talk across deep differences, these programs bring the transformative experience of shared music, honest dialogue, and meaningful connection to your community.
An interactive performance paired with one or two experiential workshops featuring communal singing, storytelling, facilitated dialogue, collaborative music-making, or Q&A.
A community-wide performance paired with two or three workshops tailored to different groups. The day may include original and multicultural repertoire, personal stories, guided dialogue, participatory music-making, and collaboration with local singers or musicians.
A multi-session experience offering more time for deeper engagement and relationship-building through performances, workshops, and community conversations. Residencies may culminate in the collaborative creation and sharing of an original song.
Programs are available for schools, synagogues, mosques, churches, JCCs, cultural institutions, concert halls, camps, community centers, and other settings worldwide.
2026-2027 Tour Dates — So Far
We are still putting together our tour plans for this first season, but we’re sharing our hopes and dreams for what we can do this year in the hopes that the world will join us in making them not just possible but deeply impactful. If you have any ideas related to any of these tours, please reach out!
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October 9-25, 2026 — Washington, DC & Boston
On this first tour, we will be engaging communities and musical ensembles of different faiths and backgrounds, including a concert with the world-champion a cappella group The Nor’easters.
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November 16-26, 2026 — England, Ireland, and Northern Ireland
In partnership with Solutions Not Sides, we plan to bring our workshops to schools across London, perform with JYC board member Mira Awad, and bring lessons from Northern Ireland back to Jerusalem.
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February 14-24, 2027 — Brazil
In partnership with Zuza Gonçalves, we are planning an exchange with Música do Círculo (MdC), an extraordinary Brazilian practice of collective vocal improvisation, body music, and group facilitation. We will learn MdC techniques to take back with us to our work in Jerusalem, and also share our experiences and best practices for using music as a tool for addressing societal division and conflict with MdC facilitators in Brazil, as well as engaging local communities in performances and interactive workshops.
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March 31-April 5, 2027 — Musical Civil Rights Tour of the American South — JOIN US
Guided by vocal activist, culture-bearer, and JYC mentor Melanie DeMore and a community of experienced guides and local witnesses to history, JOIN US for a once-in-a-lifetime journey walking the path of the most pivotal moments of the Civil Rights Movement, learning and singing the freedom songs that powered the movement, alongside our Israeli and Palestinian artists. The tour will culminate in a powerful performance at The Carter Center in Atlanta. We are opening up this unique tour experience to our global family, so if you are interested in joining us, fill out the interest form below and save the dates!
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April 8-18, 2027 — The Mid-Atlantic
We look forward to bringing performances and workshops to communities up and down the East Coast.
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June-July 2027 — The American West & West Coast + Summer Camps
We plan to bring our music and message to the Western states, as well as circling back home through summer camps.
Already see a city near you?
Even in cities where tour dates are already planned, we are still looking for local partners for public concerts, workshops, and collaborations. If we’re coming near you, we’d love to hear from you.
Partner With Us Along The Tour
Don't see your city yet?
We’re currently booking tours through summer 2028. These first cohorts will be touring and available for engagements through then, with possibilities beyond.
Future tours are still taking shape. If you are interested in hosting A Different Way in 2027, 2028, or beyond, we would love to start the conversation now and imagine what we could build together.
How the Program Works
Thanks to an extraordinary gift, A Different Way gives six Jerusalem Youth Chorus alumni a full-time year to develop as performers and facilitators. The program begins with an intensive training retreat and continues through a season of touring, with engagements ranging from single events to multi-day residencies.
Along the way, the artists build the musical and relational skills needed to guide audiences through complex conversations with honesty and care.
Meet the Artists
Meet the six artists whose voices, stories, and experiences shape A Different Way. Select an artist to read their story.
In Their Words
"Being a part of A Different Way requires me to step outside my comfort zone, listen to people even when we disagree, and stay present during difficult conversations. It teaches me to take responsibility for myself and the world around me, and to value my time and use it meaningfully.
"I am learning not only how to use my voice, but also how to help others find theirs. For me, this work means turning music, stories, and ideas into real action—working for inner peace in my own life and for peace, stability, hope, and equal rights for people who are still searching for a small reason to believe in a better future, without hiding my identity or allowing fear to silence me."
— Yasmin, from Issawiya, Jerusalem
"Being part of A Different Way requires me to question the lens through which I view the world, and reconstruct my identity in a way that makes space for different voices and opinions."
— Elisha, from Arnona, Jerusalem
The song is only the beginning
Bring the fellows of A Different Way to your community, and help us build this movement together. Invite us for a performance, workshop, or multi-day residency. Tell us about your audience, setting, and goals, and we’ll work with you to shape the right engagement.
