Taking a completely different approach, and utilizing the world of music and Israeli artists to promote Israel, we have Oleh!Records. With initial funding from The Pratt Foundation, The Bronfman Family Foundation and the Orion Fund, young Jeremy Hulsh launched the label thirteen months ago.

A recent Oleh, Jeremy was inspired by what he perceived as shortcomings in the Israeli music scene.

“I noticed that the entire music industry in Israel is based on white hype, and that there needs to be a credible institution that nurtures indie and alternative music if this scene is going to be taken seriously.”

And so was born Oleh!, a nonprofit with the goal of creating sustainable careers for all their artists. Now, in year two, and with a goal of promoting local Israeli bands abroad, they have added a ‘booking agency’ component to the organization.

The efforts appear to be paying off as one of their acts, Coolooloosh, is traveling the West Coast on a major tour sponsored by Birthright, the Israelity Tour. Which, by the way, ends with a mega-event in Las Vegas this Sunday night. According to one fan, “this is probably an ingenious way to reach out to the American youth culture, as music is pretty much the language of communication (if not the universal one for our planet).”

Now, if they would only finish their English website!