Bluegrass music in Israel-Our Story

Bluegrass music has had a presence in Israel for many years now.Brought here by immigrants from the USA and England.The first real bluegrass line-up in Israel began in the late 1960’s  when Zoie and Mimi Isseroff (originally from the USA) met Sid and Hadassah Singer(originally from England).Both couples had been performing as duos around Israel,and they decided to join together to make the Golden City String Band.
   The Golden City String Band was very successful,playing all around the country in halls,and amphitheatres.The GCSB took many traditional bluegrass and country tunes,and had them translated into the Hebrew language,and so were able to reach a wider audience in Israel.
 

​During this time Bob Yellin,formerly a member of the Greenbriar Boys in the USA,decided to move to Israel with his wife and family.He went to live on Kibbutz Ein Dor in the north of the country.He was not very active musically,until in 1978 he met Eli Ben Meir,a new immigrant from Baltimore,USA.Bob persuaded Eli to move to the kibbutz,and they formed a band-Galilee Grass.

​From the eighties till the present there may not have been regular performing bluegrass bands here in Israel,but many ad-hoc line-ups,many inspired by visits  of Bill Monroe and the Bluegrass Boys in 1983,the Nashville Bluegrass Band  in 1990,and  Alison Krauss and Union Station ,also in 1990.

   Nowadays ,many native born Israelis are interested in bluegrass,and some of them learn to play the music.
Please take a look at the photo page to check out those various line-ups.