Finding Strength in Song: An Unexpected Journey

Since the war broke out, singer Nirit Khutovoli finds herself invited all over the country to sing and empower women in need of strength. Sometimes it's for women reservists, other times for families who have been relocated to hotels, or even performances for the families of hostages. Wherever there's a need for strength, she is there.

Nirit, a singer-songwriter and voice teacher, has been performing since she was six years old. Over the years, she underwent a spiritual journey, drawing closer to Judaism. Today, through her performances, she feels privileged to connect women to their inner faith, empowering them from within.

A Journey to Judaism

"I come from a religious home and graduated from Chabad schools," Nirit shares. "We had lavish end-of-year performances which I participated in, nurturing my love for singing from a young age. Yet, in my personal life, you wouldn't have known I came from a religious home or studied at a Chabad school. Shabbat was one of the few practices I managed to maintain."

The turning point came after high school when Nirit was invited to perform at a hotel in Eilat, realizing quickly it wasn't what she wanted. "I couldn't sing," she recalls. "The energy and atmosphere didn't align with what I imagined for myself. It was in those moments I knew I wanted my life to look different, to find answers to my questions, leading me to embark on a personal journey to discover divine light."

What did this journey entail?

"I started studying Tanya in Kfar Saba and later continued in Safed at the 'Machon Alta' institute. Though I had a Jewish foundation, I felt the need to go back to the basics to truly connect with the depth of it all. After a few years, I went to the 'Mizmor' music school in Washington."

Around this time, Nirit met her husband, Or, also deeply involved in music. "He accompanies me to every performance and is my pillar of support in this mission," she says.

A year after their wedding, they welcomed their first daughter, which brought great blessings. "I received many invitations and started performing for women all over the country, often writing and singing my own songs."

Strengthening and Being Strengthened

Nirit's latest song, "Shelva BeArmonoteicha" (Serenity in Your Palaces), was written by Ravid Plotnik and composed by Ravid, Dov Zeltzer, and Yishai Suissa. "Though I didn't write the lyrics, they hold tremendous meaning for me," she says. "They talk about an open heart, faith, and creating positive thoughts, calling everyone to pray in their way, smile with every word, and join together in unity with Israel."

It sounds like it was written just for times like these...

"It was written earlier but became famous during the war, not by chance. When I sing this song, I feel how Hashem channels love, hope, healing, and comfort through me. I try to send all these feelings to everyone present with me."

Did you plan to perform it for women facing hardships from the start? How did the idea come about?

"From the first day of the war, my husband was called to the reserves, leaving me alone with two children, filled with fear, without structured support for the kids, and no family around. I was terrified of sleeping alone and anxious with every siren, overwhelmed with difficult thoughts and physical and spiritual exhaustion. There was no moment to breathe; everything was closed off and stressful.

"Requests started coming in to participate in empowering Zoom meetings for women, prompting me to pick up the guitar and piano after a long break from music. The circumstances compelled me, and while searching for a fitting song, 'Shelva BeArmonoteicha' came to me. Singing it to myself brought tears, smiles, and a visualization of its lyrics: 'I am your soldier, you are a heroine, a woman of valor... Raise your children, all the good is ahead...' Every performance of this song moved women deeply, and I quickly realized it wasn't just mine but something I needed to share."

But how can you sing in such tough and challenging times? Isn't it sometimes impossible?

"Let me tell you something: a few days ago, I sang for sisters and partners of hostages, and before the show, I asked myself: How do I even approach this? How do I engage with such powerful women? I decided to sing them this song, giving the biggest hug of love and hope for peace, hoping the right words would come through me and we would find tranquility."

One particularly moving story from that meeting involved a woman whose brother is a hostage in Gaza. After the show, she shared how the song opened her up to prayer, connecting her to a heavenly story. Sitting with friends trying to distract herself, an older woman begging for money approached, and after receiving a donation, told her, "You need to replace worry with prayer." She was in shock, as the woman had no idea about her background or situation. Typically skeptical of stories, she admitted this moment was divine. Since then, she’s prayed and prayed, finding strength.

"In such meetings, hearts open," Nirit explains. "And even when it's hard, I remind myself of the privilege and ability to strengthen others at each gathering. If Hashem placed me in this position, then it's where I'm meant to be—with or without the strength I feel I have, because it's not about me. I'm just a messenger. Ultimately, the reactions, smiles, and energy from the women before me inspire me."