Former Combat Soldier Launches Music Career with Debut Single

Hadar Hopenberg, who served as a combat soldier and received the President's Award for Excellence, is now embarking on a music career. Hopenberg grew up in an artistic family, involved in theater from a young age. By age five, she was performing in street shows with her father, Erez Meshulam, director of the "HaKarkara" theater. By twelve, she was professionally acting in plays across Israel.

Her path then took a significant turn as she enlisted in the Israel Defense Forces, serving for three years as a combat soldier in the Caracal Battalion and as a sharpshooter. During her service, she was awarded the President's Award for Excellence following an incident on the Egyptian border. Hopenberg describes her transition from theater to combat service as a meeting point of seemingly disparate worlds, blending the sensitivity of an artist with the determination of a soldier.

Now, Hopenberg is releasing her debut single, "Selicha" (Forgiveness), during the Hebrew month of Elul, leading up to the High Holy Days. The song, written from a personal and spiritual place, explores themes of trust, vulnerability, self-assertion, and the struggle to maintain faith during difficult times. "Selicha" is an apology for moments of despair, fear, and distance, but it also conveys the realization that faith is not solely present when life is good.

The song's lyrics reflect a deep personal reckoning, acknowledging divine presence even in brokenness and hardship. Hopenberg's artistic journey, from the stage to the battlefield and back to creative expression, forms the backdrop for her new musical endeavor.