Leave, Leave, Come, Come: Arabesk Music, Mizrahi Music, and the “There” of the Orient

Erased from Israel’s public realm because of their origins, Mizrahi cultural productions include a rich repository shaped by Yemenite, Arab, Turkish, Greek, Persian, and other musical influences.

by Shirly Bahar

Mostly, we were here. It was only on rare occasion that we went “there.”

A thirty-minute drive from our Tel-Aviv home heading south, and “there” we were: in the town of Bat-Yam. There, lived our large extended family from my father’s side. There, the clubs, restaurants, and cafes were packed with people enjoying themselves, eating, drinkin…