US Magicians Producing Smiles in Israel

Four American magicians are traveling throughout Israel, bringing their performances to those who have been directly affected by the two-year Gaza war.

The troupe is making its fourth visit to the country since the Oct. 7, 2023, Hamas-led onslaught on Israel through the Magic4Israel organization, whose catchphrase is “Making smiles appear.”

Minutes before showtime in Jerusalem, in front of a large group of young children whose fathers have completed hundreds of days of IDF reserve duty, magician Avi Frier, the founder of Magic4Israel, told JNS that the goal of the performances is to give the audience a sense that the whole world cares about them.

“When you get on a plane from 6,000 miles away, and do a magic show to make these kids smile, it goes way beyond the hour you spend with them, because they realize they aren’t alone, and people out there care,” he said.

Frier, an educator from South Florida who does magic part-time, said when the war started, he began exploring ways he could incorporate his talents in entertainment to come to Israel and volunteer to help.

Using contacts in various WhatsApp groups, he was put in touch with displaced families from border communities in the north and near the Gaza Strip who had been forced into hotels and homes around the country as a result of the war. The families were more than happy to be entertained by the magicians while they were struggling with the problems of being away from home.

Word spread, and the magicians started doing shows for IDF soldiers, wives of soldiers, volunteer first-responders and others. On a previous trip, they did a “mom’s night out” performance for women in Efrat in Judea, while teenagers volunteered to babysit at their homes.

Ben Cohen, from Queens, N.Y., who has been performing magic full time for 30 years, told JNS how special it was to perform for evacuee families in hotels and go back and entertain a second time in their communities, now that they are back home.

The reactions from his audiences in Israel have been unbelievable, Cohen said. “They ask us to keep coming back, and they recommend us to other groups.”

Magician Eliyahu Joseph, originally from Israel, lives in New York. He joined the group for his second trip. An ordained chaplain with training as a medical clown, Joseph told JNS he believed these types of trips will be relevant for the next decade.

“There are so many families whose loved ones were injured and will be affected by this war for a long time. When you visit with a kid who is going through something, as an entertainer, you just perform the same show, with the same energy, and they love it and respect it. And it just works,” he said.

Sam Jacobs, a magician and mentalist originally from the United Kingdom, currently living in Florida, has performed worldwide. He told JNS it is moving to see how much their performances are appreciated.

Families are amazed that a group of people would be willing to just put their lives on hold, leave their families and jobs and come all the way to Israel for them, he said.

Jacobs said he and his fellow magicians would keep coming back. “This country needs a lot of healing. It’s great that we can come here and help people take their minds off what’s going on,” he said.

Moran Ben-Hamo, who works to support families of IDF reservists on behalf of the Har Homa Community Center in Jerusalem, and was the point person for the magicians’ Jerusalem performance, told JNS the show was “relaxation for the soul” for children.

“These magicians always come here with huge hearts and volunteer with all their energies, using their own time and money. It’s unbelievable,” she said.

Pointing at the children waiting excitedly for the start of the show, Ben-Hamo said, “Look at the kids. They got here 30 minutes early. They understand that thanks to their fathers’ service in the reserves, they are here for the show. It just raises their spirits.”