Israel’s 67th Independence Day celebration was a spirited affair with DJ Kern Dotan belting out a mix of Israeli music, Punjabi and Bollywood numbers. By Divya Kaushik
The sound of clinking glasses and clicking heels lost to the beats of Israeli music. Israeli DJ Kern Dotan took over the charge of the console in style, waving her hand to the crowd. The DJ was specially flown in from Tel Aviv to play a good mix of Israeli and Indian music at the Israel’s 67th Independence Day at Hyatt Regency. It was a special evening with gentlemen dressed in their best formal attire and ladies in flowy evening gowns and shimmering short dresses.
The perfect host, Israel’s ambassador to India, Daniel Carmon, greeted the guests right at the entrance and invited them to be a part of spirited celebrations. In his address to the gathering, in the presence of chief guest Gen (Retd) VK Singh, the ambassador said, “At 67, we still feel young and vibrant. We invent, we create, we innovate and we serve as the bridge between east and west. We look back with pride at our achievements during the last years. While constantly challenged by our complex neighbourhood, we have succeeded in making a vibrant multicultural society and a thriving economy. During these years, we have built the nation, confronted challenges in science and technology and came up with innovations. We have contributed to the making of the better world by sharing our experiences, expertise and know-how with countries and people facing similar challenges.
We are very proud to see many success stories with India and Israel partnership. From food security to cyber security, from water to energy, we are ready to embark on new avenues with our Indian friends and partners. India and Israel while sharing similar values and challenges understand the importance of ancient traditions, best experienced with the need to renew, invent, research, develop and innovate. It is my first Independence Day as Israeli ambassador to India and it has always been a privilege to serve my country. I would like to recognise the role of my fellow Israeli and Indian colleagues in embassy and Delhi, in our consulates in Bengaluru and Mumbai, the Israeli business community as well as members of the Jewish community who have always been a bridge between India and Israel.”
To someone who has not visited Israel yet, the evening was an opportunity to explore its vibrant culture. Interesting videos playing on a big screen at the venue shared a glimpse of the country’s tourist destinations, innovations and creations. After all the formalities were done away with DJ Kern belted out some Israeli music and in between played some Punjabi and Bollywood numbers, too. “I don’t know much about the Indian music but before coming here I searched for some popular songs and added them to my playlist,” she said.
photos Pankaj Kumar