“Israeli men have a certain way of dressing,” commented my Jewish friend outside the Hamer Hall. “It’s not about the fashion – it’s about survival.”

And yet, Israeli culture is much richer, much deeper than mere survival. Transforming traditional Jewish prayers into contemporary pop songs, countertenor David D’Or performed in Melbourne for one night only on 5 March to celebrate the journey of the Israeli people.

With a varied, multi-layered operatic voice, D’Or has performed for the Pope, for kings and in honour of Martin Luther King. Coming from a family of musicians, he trained under Miriam Metzer and won the Eurovision competition in 2004. His music is about popularising sacred hymns, with the solemn A Night Of Roses a crowd favourite for tonight's performance. Singing high notes in an attempt to reach the heavens, his voice quivering with passion, D’Or’s strength is definitely in his voice rather than his stilted dancing.

As a non-Jewish audience member, it felt like an honour to be exposed to the intimacy of Jewish culture, where most of the audience sang along while I could only sit back and admire the energy and musical vivacity. D’Or seemed like a distant relative you only see at family occasions, but one who has the ability to make everyone get up and dance – proved later when audience members young and old leapt up from their seats and bopped along.

Throughout the concert, D’Or recounted his experiences of performing all over the world, promoting messages of peace and harmony through his music. Whether it’s by telling a Chinese audience in Taiwan that “all of us are a big family” or encouraging Palestinians to dance while he sings, D’Or holds steadfast to the philosophy that “music can reach the heart.”

The modern state of Israel declared its independence sixty years ago on 14 May 1948. Although mainstream media tends to associate the Jewish people with suffering and persecution, the concert demonstrated that Israeli culture is about celebration, joy, and giving thanks. Peace is an achievable reality, rather than a hopeful dream. D’Or tells us about visiting the place where the Israeli Prime Minister had been assassinated and finding that someone had graffitied some of his lyrics on a wall nearby: “Save our world, my child.”

Despite my limited knowledge about Jewish culture, it was a beautiful experience to be part of the audience and festive atmosphere, singing in hope that our world could be a better place.