The Next Special Star: Tel Aviv rehearsals lead to a Hod Hasharon final
Six solo singers and one band will compete on 19 November in a singing contest for people with disabilities. Following rehearsals at Tel Aviv's Papaito club and studio recordings, the winner is set to appear in the Hanukkah production Kesem Shel Festival.
The final of The Next Special Star, known in Hebrew as "הכוכב המיוחד הבא", is scheduled for Thursday, 19 November 2026, at the Multidisciplinary Arts Centre in Hod Hasharon. Entertainer Tal Mosseri will host the evening. According to the organizers' announcement, a judging panel will choose the winner from seven acts whose preparation has taken several months.
The participants come from residential support services across Israel, and part of their preparation took place in Tel Aviv. At Papaito, they rehearsed with a musical director and four accompanying musicians. The final takes that work to Hod Hasharon, with a further performance opportunity planned for the winning act during Hanukkah.
The date, venue and details to check before travelling
The arts centre is at 33 Kfar Hadar, Hod Hasharon. The municipality lists 09-8894703 and 09-8894704 as the centre's general enquiry numbers.
As of 15 November, the information supplied about the competition does not specify a start time, admission price or booking link, or establish whether the public can attend. Arrangements for accessibility at this particular event have not been detailed either. Readers planning a trip from Tel Aviv or elsewhere in Gush Dan should first check admission, registration and any required accommodations with the organizers. The venue numbers are general contacts, not a confirmed ticket service for the final.
Preparation involved both a rehearsal room and a recording studio
Around 25 applicants submitted filmed auditions, according to the announcement. The seven acts selected for the final then began preparing under musical director Shuli Koren.
Their work combined rehearsals alongside four musicians at Papaito with recording sessions at Tamuz Studios. A camera crew followed the process from the audition stage through rehearsals and recording, documenting the preparation as well as the performances.
Who is in the final
Shira Haya Dax, 36, represents the Sha'al community in Hod Hasharon, giving her a final in the city where her community is based. Two other finalists come from Lod: Itzik Ben Geiv, 46, of the Aviv residential home, and Naomi Ank, 17, of Beit Ezra Eden.
Noam Lagrisi, 24, and Yasmin Sasson, 31, are from Nitzan's residential services in the Haifa and Krayot area. Haim Avitan, 42, comes from the Ashkar residential facility in Tivon.
The seventh act is the Jema band (ג'מה), based in Feuerstein's residential services in Mevaseret Zion and working with the Imagine association. Its members are Efrat Levi on tambourine, Ran Kuper on maracas, Omer Pinchasi on electric guitar, Oriya Braver on keyboards and vocals, and Eden Taharani on vocals. Dikla Baniel handles the musical arrangements and plays bass. Talia Schwartz is responsible for production and management and also plays percussion.
A Hanukkah performance is planned for the winner
The announced prize takes the winning act beyond the competition itself: an appearance in Kesem Shel Festival - Magshimim Lachem Mishalot, a family production planned for Hanukkah 2026. Its Hebrew subtitle means "Making Your Wishes Come True".
Directed by Udi Gottschalk, the show follows a musical journey to a "wish factory", drawing on children's songs and Israeli classics in new arrangements. Yuval Hamebulbal, Tal Mosseri and Michal Haktana are among the performers named in the announcement. Planned stops include Rishon LeZion, Haifa, Jerusalem and Be'er Sheva. The organizers have not specified the date or city of the winner's appearance.
Cultural participation includes the work before the show
AKIM Israel and Israel's Ministry of Welfare and Social Affairs initiated the competition through the ministry's Disabilities Administration and its housing division. Rosh Chutzot - Art in the Street is producing it.
In the announcement, Rakefet Ben-Gai, who heads the Disabilities Administration, places the event within broader work by residential services to support active, independent participation in community life, including the arts. AKIM Israel CEO Sigal Peretz Yahalomi emphasizes participants' wishes and abilities, and opportunities to bring them before an audience.
The preparation gives those stated aims a practical form: musical direction, accompanying players, studio sessions and a performance. Thursday's judges will select one winner, but the work that brought all seven acts to the final has already included time in a Tel Aviv rehearsal space.
This article is based on the competition organizers' announcement.
