Micah Hendler

Michah Hendler is the Founder and Artistic Director of the Jerusalem Youth Chorus (JYC), an Israeli-Palestinian music and dialogue project he has brought from a dream to the global stages of TED and America’s Got Talent to the New York Times and the Late Show with Stephen Colbert. Through the co-creation of music and the sharing of stories, JYC empowers young singers from East and West Jerusalem to speak and sing their truths as they become leaders in their communities and inspire singers and listeners around the world to join them in their work for peace, justice, inclusion, and equality. Even in times of war, JYC continues to meet, and its singers’ commitment to each other, and the power of their voices raised in harmony, has only grown.

In addition to his ongoing bridge-building work in Jerusalem, Micah has brought his JYC experience to the US and around the world, collaborating with several organizations working to depolarize America (including Braver Angels, the One America Movement, Convergence, New Pluralists, and Constructive Dialogue Institute), and global organizations including the United Nations, Abu Dhabi Festival, El Sistema Greece, and the first World Congress of Music and Social Change, to be held in Toronto in 2025. Music is a powerful access point for Americans—and citizens of divided societies around the globe—to engage with one another differently, and by leading community singing, facilitating deep dialogue, and weaving disparate voices together through collaborative songwriting, Micah is working globally to build bridges across backgrounds of all kinds.

Micah was selected for the Forbes 30 Under 30 list for Music in 2017 and has written extensively for Forbes.com on music, society, and social change in a global context, using this platform to uplift voices that are not often heard in mainstream media.