Orna Datz Opens Up About Son's Death, Grief, and Return to Stage

Singer Orna Datz has spoken candidly about the profound grief she experiences following the death of her son, Omer Datz, who passed away at age 30 nearly two and a half years ago after an epileptic seizure. In a new interview for the "All In" podcast, Datz described the initial period after his death as "the end of the world," characterized by "darkness, cold, fear, and terror."

Datz shared that she has been navigating this new reality by finding reasons to get up in the morning and reconnect with life, emphasizing that "time does its work" and grief is a process. She drew a parallel to her experience with her younger brother Yaron's suicide years prior, recalling her mother's deep despair and her own resolve not to succumb to similar sorrow. "I saw her, and it saddened me greatly," Datz stated, "but when it happened to me, I said, I don't want to be my mother."

She recounted her slow return to normalcy, including resuming physical activity and eventually returning to performing. For a full year, Datz avoided music entirely, as "music is Omer." Comedian Shahar Hason was a source of comfort, being the only one who could make her laugh during that time. Datz described her ongoing pain as a living part of her, stating, "The pain exists, it is alive, it is a limb of my body. It was born when Omer died."

Having faced her greatest fear, the loss of her child, Datz expressed a sense of fearlessness. "Once this fear was realized, and it happened, nothing scares me anymore. What can happen? The most frightening thing in the world happened," she said.

Datz also discussed the song "Ein B'Olam Ahava" (There Is No Love in the World), originally written as a gift for Omer's birth. She now shares its story during performances, finding strength in the audience's connection to the theme of motherhood. She feels her son's presence on stage, believing he would have been proud of her singing.