Music to your ears

Bat Li Pitom – You Suddenly Came to Me

By Jason Hecht

This is the first in a monthly series of articles highlighting contemporary Israeli music.

“Bat Li Pitom” (באת לי פתאום; “You Suddenly Came to Me”) is a heartfelt duet by Israeli artists Keren Peles and Roni Alter, released in December 2019 as part of Peles’ album Shkufim (Transparent).

Penned and composed by Peles, and produced by Gilad Shmueli, the song unfolds like a tender story: a moment of deep solitude and near despair—“the city was quiet and the sky grew dark, it was almost the twilight hour of my life”—is suddenly illuminated by the arrival of someone who offers hope, reminding the singer that “God is keeping a place at the end of the day for women like you,” for “innocent” or even “foolish” souls like hers.

With its gentle melody and evocative lyrics, “Bat Li Pitom” captures the transformative power of an unexpected encounter—an emotional lifeline that rekindles faith and renews the will to dream.

No records indicate that “Bat Li Pitom” appeared on Israel’s annual Hebrew song charts (such as Kan Gimel or Galgalatz). However, the song’s emotional resonance has made it a popular choice in Israeli folk dance communities in Israel and around the world—featured in the circle dances and taught widely—with the choreography by Gadi Bitton & Dror Davidi on Zoom in 2020.

Jason Hecht is FJMC International’s webmaster and part of the IT team, and also leads the FJMC Israeli and Jewish Music Affinity Group.