Israeli musician Eyal Zakai never planned to pause his career just as it was gaining momentum. Raised in Israel after making Aliyah from New York as a toddler, Zakai grew up in a musical household and began performing at a young age. Together with his older brother, he started uploading homemade music covers to YouTube, recording wherever space allowed, bedrooms, living rooms, anywhere they could set up a camera.
By high school, the brothers shifted toward original music, performing concerts in Israel and the US and building an audience. When Zakai was drafted, he faced a dilemma common to many young artists: whether to pursue accommodations that would allow him to continue his music career or commit fully to combat service.
He chose combat duty.
Zakai was drafted into the Kfir Brigade, which during the war saw extended deployments in Gaza, a shift from its traditional focus in the West Bank. He described the experience not only in terms of combat but also the less visible challenges, long stretches without contact with the outside world, limited access to news, and the strain of existing in a closed reality for months at a time.
Writing music in dedication to a friend
During one deployment, Zakai learned that a close childhood friend had been killed in combat roughly a kilometer away from his unit. Unable to attend the funeral or shiva, he began writing a song inside Gaza, using a guitar the unit had with them. The song, later titled “The Calm After the Storm,” was dedicated to his friend and to the families left behind after the public ceremonies end and the silence sets in.
After completing his service, Zakai released the song and shared it with the fallen soldier’s family, calling the moment deeply meaningful. He said the experience shaped his songwriting, reinforcing his belief that music can help people process grief in different ways.
Now back in civilian life, Zakai is preparing to return fully to music, carrying with him the experiences, losses, and perspectives formed during his time on the front lines.