The Jerusalem Youth Chorus, consisting of young Israeli and Palestinian singers, auditioned Tuesday night on the popular TV show America’s Got Talent and passed with flying colors.
The chorus performed a heartfelt version of “Home” by Phillip Phillips, who performed the song for the first time in 2012 as a contestant on American Idol.
The performance received a standing ovation from the show’s judges – Howie Mandel, Heidi Klum, and Sofia Vergara, the Got Talent franchise’s creator, Simon Cowell.
The NBC series promoted the appearance with the tagline, “Despite the violence surrounding them, they sing out for peace, justice, inclusion, and equality.”
One of the chorus members, who spoke for the group from the stage, said, “We are taking a step forward to build an amazing future where there is justice and freedom and equality and inclusion.”
Mandel said, “I got goosebumps. This is a world anthem… thank you so much for appearing on this stage.”Vergara called the performance “heartwarming” and “inspiring.”
'Demonstrate a viable alternative to violence'
Cowell, the hardest nut to crack, said, “I loved this audition. Through friendship, you made something very complicated [the Israel-Palestinian conflict] beautiful.”
The song contains reconciliatory lyrics like:
Settle down, it’ll all be clearDon’t pay no mind to the demonsThey fill you with fearThe trouble, it might drag you downIf you get lost, you can always be foundJust know you’re not alone
The chorus was founded in 2012 by Micah Hendler, a Jewish American who lived for many years in Israel. Hendler has performed internationally multiple times, recorded with David Broza and Ziggy Marley, and appeared on The Late Show with Stephen Colbert.
“The mission of the Jerusalem Youth Chorus has never been more vital – to demonstrate a viable alternative to violence in Israel-Palestine and sing out for peace, justice, inclusion, and equality,” artistic director and conductor Hendler said earlier this year when the group toured the US in the aftermath of October 7.
As of Wednesday afternoon, the YouTube clip of the America’s Got Talent performance had garnered nearly 45,000 views.