A Heartfelt Farewell to Eliezer Ben-Botzer: His Final Interview

I must admit, the shocking news of singer Eliezer Ben-Botzer's sudden passing caught me completely off guard last Friday. For hours afterward, I was in shock and deep sorrow for the loss of this special Jewish soul. It was as if I had known him personally, and the feeling of loss lingered, tightly gripping my heart. I've listened to his songs often, followed him with admiration, and always felt privileged that such a creator chose to share his music with the world. I never knew him personally, but I always thought of him as a special soul.

Just a month ago, I had my first and last encounter with him. As we prepared to film an interview for 'Golan with the People' hosted by Golan Azulai, we had a long conversation that felt like both an investigation and preparation. As a production manager, I've had many conversations like this, but few left such a lasting impression that stays with me even now.

After our conversation, I felt a deep need for a moment of loving self-reflection. To be better, more connected to myself and my Creator. It was a conversation about his life that made me pause and ask myself: how authentically am I living my true self? How much do I truly believe and give place to that belief in my life? How much am I committed to my mission, to kindness, and how much do I care about what happens to the people of Israel? Those are deep questions that only a meeting with someone possessing such depth could awaken so profoundly within you...

In our discussion, I heard so much - deep thought and wisdom of the heart, simple and clear truth, a genuine connection with Hashem, burning love, and rare humility that deeply inspired me. When he spoke repeatedly about the importance of his family and wife in his life, I was genuinely moved. By the end of the day, it was clear to me that Ben-Botzer was the kind of person I wanted to meet again. Maybe for another project, maybe to attend one of his performances, or certainly to buy his next album released. But sometimes life doesn't go as planned...

His Life Story

Eliezer (the Cohen) Ben-Botzer left this world at age 43. Reviewing his life, you realize just how much he achieved in his brief years. Ben-Botzer was married to Noa and a father of eight, living the last three years in Amuka. Before that, he resided in Neve Tzedek, Tel Aviv, where he managed 'Liba', a Jewish house of creativity.

Born to American immigrant parents, he grew up in a religious family in Safed. Even as a young man, he sought his path, leaving religion before returning to it at 17. His army service, an important chapter in his life, was with the Nahal Brigade.

Throughout his life, Ben-Botzer actively worked to bring Jews closer to themselves and their Creator. In 2003, he embarked with his family on a mission to India, creating and managing traveler centers for Israelis, providing support to all Jews they encountered, including those in distress. This mission spanned five years.

In 2004, he founded a spiritual tourism center in the Old City of Safed to help travelers adjust after returning from the East, integrating into work and academia.

In 2011, he began working on his debut album. By 2013, "Attention. Focus." was released, featuring "Zion," one of his most successful and moving songs. A year later, he released "People of the Land," recorded after visiting the Shaar family, whose son Gil-Ad was kidnapped and murdered by Hamas terrorists. Recorded in just two and a half weeks, the album was a labor of love. In 2017, he released the first single from his third album, "The Home."

Last Friday, Ben-Botzer passed away unexpectedly on his way home from reserve duty, leaving countless friends mourning. He was laid to rest in the military cemetery in Safed. May his memory be a blessing.

"I Remember Rabbi Shlomo Carlebach Smiling at Me as a Child"

How did you start your journey?

"I've been writing since childhood. As an artist, it was only later, when I felt the songs taking over my life, that I began sorting through them. Over the years, many songs accumulated. Those close to me were familiar with them, but I had never recorded anything. The turning point was the song 'Zion'; I received immense feedback to release my music. My producer and manager took some of my sketches to a producer he knew, which set the process in motion, quite unplanned.

"Back then, we already had six children. At 28, while on a mission in India, I began formalizing my music. Even before writing, I used to scribble and sing songs. Growing up, our home was filled with music, Shabbat, and often Rabbi Shlomo Carlebach at the Klezmer Festival in Safed, profoundly influencing me. As a child, I'd wait for him by the stage, remembering his smile. His music left a lasting mark. I grew up with religious songs like Avraham Fried's 'Tanya', but in my teens, I shifted to Pink Floyd and Aviv Geffen's 'Moonlight Children'. I was entirely there."

What are some significant milestones in your life?

"The beginning of my return, despite growing up in a religious home, I had a searching phase, and began reconnecting around age 17. Then joining the army helped build tools crucial for this journey. Suddenly I understood the framework's purpose. I married at 19, having met Noa beforehand.

"In my teens, I rebelled and drifted, searching for self, but my parents are special people - the more I reconnect with myself, the closer I feel to them. Today I see it as youthful rebellion, a search for identity. For a time, I wasn't observant. I found my way back through Rabbi Nachman, self-reflection, a personal connection, and language. As a child, I often sought solitude, finding it refreshing that this could be a path of spiritual work. Though my parents were part of it, I had to find my personal connection.

"Then marriage, building a home with Noa, always searching but together. I began my life only with Noa; that's the truth. As soon as I left the army, I was a father. A year ago, I became a grandfather, which fills me with joy.

"The mission in India significantly connected personal life to the community and the experiences of the Jewish people. We lived there for five years, managing houses remotely in Ladakh and Goa for 17 years, until COVID hit.

What are you most proud of?

"Family, I believe, is a holy sanctuary. We connect with ideas from an ideological viewpoint, decision-making and aspirations, and are constantly refining. There are times, like when Hashem tells Abraham not to harm the boy, indicating more understanding and clarity is needed. Jacob, representing the home, shows us a family is our greatest gift. It aligns with the essence of a great house, a house of prayer, a holy temple. Our essence is home."

What’s your biggest dream?

"To be a priest in the Holy Temple."

What brings you the most happiness?

"Feeling close to Hashem, sensing His presence in my life. When I feel that connection, true joy follows."

Hobbies?

"Singing, creating, traveling with my kids, quality time with my wife, performing."

Connection to Judaism from childhood?

"I grew up in a home of hospitality and influence. I rebelled, but it’s still mine. Our Shabbat table always welcomed guests, promoting kindness. I'm the second of seven siblings. My mother is an occupational therapist, and my father runs 'Build and Rebuild', an organization for young American Jews connecting with their Jewish identity through community volunteerism. During wartime, for example, they volunteer renovating homes in the north."

What's the key message you want to share?

"The Jewish people are a sacred nation. Our unity, understanding each one’s part within Israel, without judgment, is the vessel for revealing the Divine Presence and complete redemption. Especially now, as we unveil inner strengths—a bit clichéd to speak of unity, but it's more about feeling like family. Even in disagreements, realize that love motivates us, nothing can separate us.

"We live in Amuka, not a religious place, on the edge to strengthen Israel’s unity. This is our essence."

Do you find humor in anything about yourself?

"I joke about my ADHD diagnosis, seeing it as an out-of-the-box gift. Everyone has their challenges and differences. I sometimes ask if definitions are worth it. Balancing is key—are these diagnoses accurate? Definitions can be true but can chain you. Being a returnee, for instance, embodies truth, but return is perpetual, internalizing it beyond outer labels to embrace an internal essence."

Talk about your recent work.

"Our most recent releases include a song called 'Shalom', born amid internal struggles, a prayer reflecting on what’s occurring between us. I collaborated with Oran Brazili from the legendary Dr. Kasper band, out of desperation, asking what is happening to us. I also released 'Ain Yeush' when my daughter married, weeks post-October 7, speaking to our tough times, but affirming Hashem is with us. All our songs dwell on time. 'Yesh Li Or' celebrates partnership and family, our foundation’s core. In worldly storms, we hold light inside, in our family and home, resonating with songs 'Zion' and 'The Home', not just temple-centric but our own spaces. The home is central to our lives."

Life in Amuka

Three years ago, after a decade in Neve Tzedek, Tel Aviv, the Ben-Botzer family moved to Amuka: "We had wonderful years in Neve Tzedek, with the 'Liba' center in Tel Aviv. Then we returned to my childhood scenery, realizing Israel’s 'India' wasn’t escape, but to stay. The north is a type of India, seeking spiritual balance within the land, spiritual work places. Hard to claim in the past year, but it’s our purpose here. Cultivating culture, spiritual tourism, meetings like in India, connecting from Tel Aviv to Israel’s nature.

"Currently, we live above Yonatan Ben Uziel, amidst an extraordinary northern reality of war. We’ve stayed in Samaria, felt Israel’s ideal. Now, our ideology and presence here hold importance, praying for Israel. Today, my focus is on music, creation, many volunteer performances for soldiers, evacuees, the wounded, and tourism projects."

How did the October 7 tragedy personally affect you?

"During Simchat Torah, we were in Safed. I joined Amuka’s readiness unit, doing reserves locally. Emotionally, combining immense pain and constantly seeking strength, pushing forward, remembering this is a Divine process toward full redemption."

The full interview with the late singer Eliezer Ben-Botzer will soon air on 'Golan with the People', hosted by Golan Azulai. May his memory be a blessing.