Before I even entered the Jerusalem Theater it was already clear that the night was going to be as entertaining and as crazy as a circus.  Literally.  I walked into the courtyard to find hundreds of people hanging out around cotton candy vendors and fire-throwing performers.  As my friends and I

stopped and took pictures, a man riding an “elephant” told us to go inside the theater.  Saying that I was confused would be a misuse of the word because the real confusion set in once I entered the building.  I was immediately engulfed by a crowd which not only included MASA participants, but clowns, break-dancers, a performer dressed as a tree, and masked men on stilts.  This was clearly going to be an impressive evening.

The night was a great opportunity to talk with my friends on other Israel programs.  I was also able to meet new people and start playing a whole new round of everyone’s favorite game: Jewish Geography.  We made our way upstairs and into the theater only after one of my friends had been accosted by a caveman and I had posed for a picture with a fruit tree.

When the lights in the theater finally began to flash I took a seat with my fellow Nativers.  The audience grew quiet as we were welcomed to the first cultural MASA event of the year.  Being in the same room as almost a thousand people from all over the world was both incredible and thought provoking.  All of us at the concert were there to have a good time.  More importantly, though, all of us are in Israel this year because we have the same passion and love for our homeland. 

When the lights dimmed and the band came out I ran all the way down to the front.  As the first song began I somehow managed to get to the edge of the stage with my friends.  HaDag Nachash started with “Mah SheBah Bah” and the crowd went wild.  The mass of people surrounding me was already dancing and singing like crazy before the band played their second song, “LaZuz”.

The energy in the theater only increased as the night progressed.  I was lucky to be standing in such a great spot right in front of the stage.  This was the first concert I had been to where my height (or lack thereof) was not an issue!  When I took time to look around I realized that everyone at the event was having a terrific time. 

All of a sudden big white balloons appeared around the stage and the band began playing one of their newer songs, “California”.  The irregularly large balloons led me to think yet again of the circus…

HaDag Nachash finally started playing their most famous song, “Shirat HaSticker”.  The audiences knew the song so well that the band pulled back from the microphones and let us sing along.  Everyone was so pumped when the song ended that they missed hearing that the next song, “Mah Naaseh”, would be the last.  As soon as the band started leaving the stage the audience began to chant “Ode Echad!” over and over again.  Of course HaDag Nachash came back out to play two of their most popular songs, “Lo M’Vater” and “Hinei Ani Bah”, ending the concert on an extremely high note.

Much to their fans’ delight the band stuck around onstage to take pictures and give autographs.  After taking some pictures, my friends and I stood in the lobby talking as the theater cleared out.  The concert was over and the circus of activity had ended, but I was still feeling the energy I had seen and heard that night. 

Rachel Schneider is from Cincinnati, Ohio, and is currently a participant in the Nativ program sponsored by United Synagogue of America.

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