Abiya Sherman Says War Deepened His Mission to Make Music and Shape Israeli Culture

Abiya Sherman, who has served about 650 reserve days since the war began, gave a candid interview on the "Srugim" podcast about the personal cost of fighting, what he saw in Gaza, and his cultural mission as a singer. He said that seeing his friends killed and his company commander severely wounded sharpened his determination to release a debut album. "People get meaningful insights about life when they understand it is short," he said. "I asked myself what my role is in the world. When I move around in Gaza, I felt the houses there remind us what we are fighting for, there is a cultural issue here, and culture is what wins."

He described one especially painful contradiction from the war as a performer. Sherman said that one night he played at a wedding with his band, just four hours after attending the burial of one of his soldiers, Uri Danino, who was kidnapped and murdered. Danino had escaped the October 7 attack on Re'im, but returned to rescue friends because, Sherman said, he was raised never to leave anyone behind. "This is a person I tell my children about," Sherman said.

Sherman dedicated his second song, "Here I Am," a funky, upbeat track, to his friend Elhanan Klein, who was murdered on the way home from reserve duty. He said, "My way of healing is to give energy and joy." When asked whether he might break through via reality television, he answered cautiously that it is "a short way that is long," and said he is unsure whether it fits the value-driven message he wants to convey.

On social issues and conscription, Sherman was notably optimistic. Speaking as a commander of ultra-Orthodox soldiers, he said, "It is clear to all of us that the Haredim will integrate into the workforce and enlist in the army, it is already happening and the process of balance is on the way. The protests? They are just noise." He is now fundraising for his debut album through a Headstart campaign, which appears to be drawing strong support. His big dream is to perform at Caesarea, and he also wants to become an influential figure in Israeli culture.