Hallelujah (Milk and Honey Song)

“Hallelujah” is an ecumenical song of praise whose international success linked Hebrew-language popular music with Israel’s participation in Eurovision.[4] Its winning performance featured Gali Atari as lead singer alongside Yehuda Tamir, Shmulik Bilu, and Reuven Gvirtz.[1] The lyrics include the phrase “הללויה עם השיר, הללויה על יום שמאיר” (“Hallelujah with the song, hallelujah for a day that shines”).[5]

The song’s central word was chosen to be recognizably Hebrew while also familiar to listeners abroad.[2] Its creators developed it for a vocal group seeking a piece that would display its harmonies and build gradually, and its eventual Eurovision presentation combined Atari’s lead vocal with the three other singers.[2] Beyond its contest victory, the song circulated internationally through recordings, translations, chart appearances, and later commemorative performances in Israel.[1][2]

The song was initially intended for HaKol Over HaBibi, which wanted material that would showcase its vocal harmonies and develop progressively.[2] Or sought a Hebrew word that international audiences would recognize and proposed “Hallelujah”; Oshrat recalled that it fitted the musical phrase he was developing at the piano.[2] The lyrics were written in Hebrew in accordance with the Eurovision language requirements described in the account of its creation.[2]

Submitted for the 1978 Hebrew Song and Chorus Festival with HaKol Over HaBibi as the intended performers, the song was not accepted.[2] Ynet reports that the group later planned to perform it in a televised show, but the performance was canceled after pianist Moshe Levy failed to attend the final rehearsal.[2] Because it had not been performed publicly, it remained eligible for the next Eurovision selection and was submitted to the 1979 festival committee.[2]

After the song was accepted for the 1979 selection, its proposed performance by HaKol Over HaBibi did not proceed, and Atari joined Bilu, Gvirtz, and Tamir to perform it as Milk and Honey.[1][2] At the national festival, they defeated Zvika Pik’s “I Have No One but Myself” by two points, securing the right to represent Israel at Eurovision.[2]

Israel’s participation in the contest had begun amid financial constraints: when television executives first learned about Eurovision in early 1972, their initial response was that the broadcasting authority lacked the budget.[6] Israel nevertheless pursued entry in 1973 as a means of introducing its culture and musical performers to the European marketplace.[6] Eurovision subsequently provided a showcase for Israeli popular performers, including Kaveret and Shlomo Artzi.[4]

Jerusalem hosted the 1979 contest because Izhar Cohen and Alphabeta had won the previous year in Paris with “A-Ba-ni-bi.”[6] The final took place at Binyanei HaUma on March 31, 1979, marking the first Eurovision held in Israel and the first outside Europe.[3] The competition had begun in 1956.[6]

Preparations included a last-minute change to the Israeli entry: during rehearsals, organizers found that its running time exceeded the three-minute limit by 19 seconds and warned that it could be disqualified.[2] Oshrat prepared a shortened, three-minute version three days before the contest.[2] He later recalled a competition with 20 songs, each performed alongside a live band onstage.[7]

The result remained undecided until the final jury vote.[8] Israel stood one point behind Spain before Spain, the last country to announce its scores, awarded the Israeli entry 10 points.[8] “Hallelujah” finished with 125 points and brought Israel its second consecutive Eurovision victory.[3]

Hosting required substantial investment in television infrastructure, although Israel still could not broadcast the event entirely in color.[6] After the victory, the Israel Broadcasting Authority declined to host again in 1980, concentrating its limited resources on the transition to color broadcasting, which took place in 1981.[6]

For the Eurovision recording, Oshrat wanted a church bell near the song’s conclusion, hoping that its sound would appeal to Christian viewers in Europe.[2] The only suitable bell available locally belonged to the Israel Philharmonic Orchestra, and it was transported by taxi to a recording studio.[2] Guitar parts were accidentally recorded over the bell’s track, requiring Oshrat to persuade the orchestra’s manager to lend the instrument again for a second recording.[2]

Following the Eurovision win, an album was released containing songs in Hebrew and English, including “Hallelujah.”[9] The song was subsequently translated into dozens of languages and performed in numerous versions.[1] Oshrat later said it had received more than 400 international covers, attributing its appeal to its pop-song form, Or’s use of the word “Hallelujah,” the arrangement, and the performance.[7]

In 2018, “Hallelujah” was selected as the central song for Israel’s 70th-anniversary celebrations.[10] The announced plans called for a new arrangement and an additional verse by Or and Oshrat, with performances after the national torch-lighting ceremony and simultaneous singing at locations in Israel and in Jewish communities abroad.[10] The completed anniversary adaptation included two additional verses written by Or at the request of Culture Minister Miri Regev and was performed by Atari and Eden Ben-Zaken.[1]

“Hallelujah” achieved substantial commercial exposure beyond its Eurovision audience, becoming a major hit on European charts.[6] Its reported chart peaks included first place in Sweden, Norway, Ireland, and Finland; second in Switzerland; fourth in Belgium; fifth in the United Kingdom; and sixth in the Netherlands.[2] Its international circulation through translations and numerous performances established it as a prominent musical representative of Israel abroad.[1]

The victory extended the success of Israel’s 1978 entry into a second consecutive year and placed a Hebrew-language song at the center of the first Eurovision staged outside Europe.[3] Within Israeli popular music, it formed part of Eurovision’s role as an international showcase for local performers.[4] Its later selection for the 70th-anniversary celebrations connected that international achievement with a national commemorative occasion and planned participation by Jewish communities overseas.[10]

Oshrat associated the contest with the year of peace between Israel and Egypt and recalled what he considered a “pro-Israel atmosphere.”[7] He also regarded Israel’s use of a vocal group as distinctive in a competition in which, in his recollection, most countries were sending solo singers.[7] Explaining the song’s enduring appeal, he emphasized both the accessibility of its pop form and the strength of its central word.[7]

The song’s success was followed by legal and financial disputes over authorship, performance credits, band membership, and compensation.[2] Dalia Kowalski claimed to have written the lyrics and brought a lawsuit, but the court rejected her claim; Or subsequently filed a criminal complaint alleging an attempt to obtain money fraudulently.[2] Later litigation concerned Atari’s removal from Milk and Honey and disagreements about rights and payment, with the parties giving conflicting accounts of their agreements and responsibilities.[2]

The contest also took place amid political tensions. The Center for Israel Education reports that Turkey withdrew under pressure from Arab countries protesting the lack of discussion and resolution of the Palestinian issue.[6] Israel and Egypt had signed their peace treaty five days before the final.[6]