Stay tuned – the TEDxJaffaWomen talk will soon be live on the TED platform!
Just before stepping onto the stage, I peeked through the crack behind the curtain and looked out at the crowd – so many faces, so much energy.
I could feel them – feel you. I closed my eyes, took a deep breath, and promised myself that in this moment, everything I’ve done, everything I am, is for you. All of me. At my fullest. And it was incredible!
I felt like one body – perfect synergy. I looked into your eyes, spoke with you, laughed, made mistakes – and was exactly who I wanted to be: real, present, fully there. Not perfect – whole. If there’s such a thing as #Wenergy – this was it!
Before stepping onto the TEDxJaffaWomen stage, I asked my kids (Hamsa Hamsa – all four of them!) if they knew what mattered most to me that evening. They said, “To get on stage and deliver your message". And they were absolutely right – but my answer was different.
What mattered even more was stepping down from the stage and seeing them.
A few years earlier, in the midst of one of the hardest moments of my life, my daughter Roni – who had just turned 18 – asked me for a gift I couldn’t give. It wasn’t something material, but an expectation I simply wasn’t able to meet. I told her, “I’m sorry – I can’t give you the gift you’re asking for… but I promise that what I’m doing now – that’s a gift for life".
Since then, through every rise and fall, determination and perseverance, success and glorious collapse – I’ve been collecting moments. Every peak I’ve touched, every bucket of tears – all of it.
And when I finally stepped off that stage, they ran to hug me. I looked into their eyes and knew that this incredible, whole journey was the gift I had promised.
A huge thank you for the extraordinary privilege of being part of TEDxJaffaWomen – standing on an international stage with my art and message, stretching the boundaries of what’s possible, and being part of a movement that creates change.
Thank you Galia Oriya Cukierman and Libi Ben Nun for the shared journey – from the depths of the fracture to the edge of the stars. Thank you for believing in me.
Melody Dekel, Shlomi Haybi, and my dear Berry and Rotem.
Iris Yogev, Yael Milo, and Galia for shaping the talk,
Yael Eshet for your creative and wonderful “voilà.
Noa Lebovich for the social media sparkle,
Orly Shay for the super styling,
Daniel Factor for production and setup help.
To the incredible team for endless hours of volunteer work, dedication, and unconditional giving – you are pure wonder.
To the amazing women who bravely took the stage before 1,500 people, speaking in a language not their own, learning movement, rhythm, intention – and sharing work that breaks boundaries:
Grateful to King Features Syndicate, and to Carla Silva and Berit Ginzburg, for embracing my art with such warmth and support.
To my beloved souls, Sharon Mass, Reuma Amiram, Ilanah Naim-Kedar, Tal Levin.
To my beloved family, for your never-ending embrace through it all.
Orna Lusternik Czaczkes – thank you for the pink touch.
And finally – a huge thank you to everyone who came and became part of this reality-shaping moment ❤️
Photos by Assaf Guery