Join us for a look back at the 41 songs Israel has sent to the Eurovision Song Contest since it first started participating. With Netta's big win this May, Israel has now won Eurovision four times and has the sixth best performance record of any participating country. How does this tiny nation manage to hold its own against musical powerhouses like Belgium, the United Kingdom, Sweden, and Denmark? How did the transition from a formal orchestra performance style to a disco and dance-heavy stadium show get reflected in the Israeli entries? How did musicians like Izhar Cohen and Dana International help to break down barriers at the contest? What exactly is a “golden boy”? Wait a second, is Israel even IN Europe? Everyone is welcome to come sing along with the catchy, the beautiful, and the utterly bizarre songs Israel has selected to perform on this global stage over the years and theorize on what we might see at Eurovision 2019 when Israel hosts!

Rena Ashton is a Torontonian, a cyclist, a cat person, and an absolutely massive Eurovision fan. Since first finding out what Eurovision is more than five years ago, she has gotten her roommates, coworkers, friends, and anyone who would listen to her hooked on the excitement and drama of the biggest annual song contest in the world. When not counting down the days until ESC 2019, Rena works in television and serves as the musical director of Varsity Jews A Cappella, furthering her passion for delightfully silly Jewish music.