In fall 2021, a musician first visited Sha’ar HaShamayim Synagogue in Cairo to celebrate the Jewish New Year, Rosh Hashanah, with the Drop of Milk Association. The synagogue, meaning “The Gate of Heaven” in Hebrew, provided a spiritual and historical experience. However, the ceremony had already ended, and the musician found that there are no official religious services in Cairo due to the absence of a rabbi. Instead, attendees led brief prayers, accompanied by the tradition of blowing the shofar and eating symbolic foods.
The musician returned to Sha’ar HaShamayim in 2022, this time with their cello to share music for the new year. They chose the song “al-Dunya Ghinwa” sung by Egyptian Jewish-born Leila Mourad in the 1949 film Ghazal al-Banāt. The event was led by Magda Haroun, head of the Drop of Milk Association, and her family, with the help of several Jewish foreigners and embassy officials. The synagogue is located across from the restaurant ‘Eish wa-Malḥ, which shares a common expression meaning to form an unspoken bond or alliance.
The musician attended various Drop of Milk events from 2022-2023, including a lecture at Sha’ar HaShamayim and the opening of the renovated Basatin Karaite Jewish Cemetery. They also delivered a talk at the American Research Center in Egypt and played music at synagogues in Maadi and al-Korba. During Hannukah, the musician led a group singalong, surprising them was their long-time music idol Lena Chamamyan, along with renowned jazz musician Yehya Khalil.
In 2023, the musician and their husband Ahmed performed songs at the al-Korba synagogue, marking the first time Rosh Hashanah had been celebrated there in 70 years. They played songs by Leila Mourad, Daoud Hosni, and other prominent Jewish figures in Egyptian music history. A woman thanked them, sharing that she had grown up attending the synagogue before relocating to Europe.
The musician also played music for an International Holocaust Remembrance Day event in Cairo, where Ruth Cohen, a Holocaust survivor, addressed foreign dignitaries. However, the regional political circumstances changed, and holiday celebrations ceased due to the genocide in Gaza. The musician noticed that many people began to conflate Judaism with Zionism, unaware of the strong contingent of anti-Zionist Jews worldwide.
As a fellow at the Center for Arabic Studies Abroad program at the American University in Cairo, the musician continued to educate themselves on Egyptian Jewish heritage. They watched the film Salaṭa Baladī, documenting an Egyptian family with mixed Jewish, Muslim, and Christian heritage. The musician also read Nadia Kamel’s book al-Mawlūda, written in Egyptian colloquial Arabic, lending authenticity to everyday life.
Despite the current halt in holiday celebrations, some Egyptians the musician met at the synagogues still send holiday greetings, demonstrating that there is ‘eish wa-malḥ between them. This experience was recognized as a top ten place winner of Egyptian Streets’ 2025 “Timeless Tales: Cultural Heritage Writing Competition,” in partnership with FairTrade Egypt and Bibliothek Egypt.
Key points
- The musician's experiences highlight the importance of preserving Egyptian Jewish heritage and promoting interfaith dialogue and understanding.
- The Drop of Milk Association plays a significant role in preserving Egyptian Jewish heritage and promoting interfaith dialogue.
- The conflation of Judaism with Zionism can be overcome through education and cultural exchange.
