JMA Artist on Artist presents In Search of the Secret Chord for Peace: A Conversation about the Holy and the Broken

Join us at the Jewish Museum of Australia for a profound conversation between Ittay Flescher and Anita Lester – both musicians and writers, both born in Israel. Framed by the evocative lyrics of Leonard Cohen’s Hallelujah, this event explores themes of peace, fragility, good and evil, and the complexities of challenging times. Drawing inspiration from Ittay’s new book The Holy and the Broken: A Cry for Israel-Palestinian Peace from a Land that Must be Shared, and the JMA’s music exhibition A Secret Chord, this intimate dialogue weaves together stories, music and reflections in a search for deeper understanding and harmony.

About the Artists

Ittay Flescher is the Education Director at Kids4Peace Jerusalem, an interfaith movement for Israelis and Palestinians and the Jerusalem Correspondent for The Jewish Independent from Australia. As an insightful analyst of Israeli politics, he has been published in Haaretz, Crikey, ABC Religion and Ethics, Jerusalem Post, Fathom and many other publications and newspapers. Before moving to Jerusalem in 2018, he was a high school educator in Melbourne for 15 years, teaching Australian History, Jewish Studies and Religion and Society. Married with two children, he loves his family, religion, country, and all the people around him deeply, especially when they inspire and challenge him to reflect on his actions and be a better human being.

Anita Lester is a multidisciplinary artist from Melbourne, Australia, whose work spans music, painting, filmmaking, poetry, and illustration. Her art weaves themes of longing, loss, hope, and Jewish tradition, earning acclaim for its haunting beauty and evocative storytelling. Highlights include her solo EP Erato, debut album The Clown, the award-winning Holocaust-themed film Noch Am Leben, and a portrait series of Holocaust survivors commissioned by the Melbourne Holocaust Museum. Anita has also illustrated books, including Arnold Zable’s The Glass Horse of Venice, and continues to push creative boundaries with her upcoming feature film, Song of Songs.