Shai Sol is a talented Israeli singer-songwriter and multi-instrumentalist who has a heart for artists and musicians who don’t yet know Jesus. She ministers to this community by meeting people where they are, listening deeply, speaking honestly, and trusting God to move. And in a Jews for Jesus coffee shop in Tel Aviv’s artsy Florentin district, she’s actively building relationships with people who, ordinarily, would never set foot in a church.

“If we want to share the gospel with musicians,” she explained, “we need to understand what they’re singing about—their pain, their questions, what they care about. That’s where meaningful conversations begin.”

Shai volunteers with Jews for Jesus and attends a Messianic congregation that meets in one of our coffee shops. Over the past year, Shai has been inviting musicians and artists—most of them unbelievers—to participate in monthly concerts and open‑stage events at the coffee shop. These evenings have become powerful ways to build relationships and share the hope of Yeshua with a community that often seems far from faith.

A believer in Jesus stepped up and offered a spoken‑word piece filled with gospel hope.

One recent evening offered a striking example of that. Many in the room were grieving friends lost in the war. The atmosphere felt heavy as artists shared songs and spoken-word poems in memory of those they’d lost. But when the open‑mic portion began, a believer in Jesus stepped up and offered a spoken‑word piece filled with gospel hope. “The entire atmosphere changed immediately,” Shai said. “People were sad, really sad, and suddenly someone shared about hope in Yeshua. You could feel the difference.”

Through events like these, our staff and volunteers connect directly with artists and audiences, engaging in honest spiritual conversations. “We just create the space and invite people in,” Shai said. “And God meets them there.”

As a result, several people who would never step into a traditional church started visiting and attending the congregation.

As Shai witnessed God working through these events, he also began stirring her heart to share her faith more boldly through her music. Shai first rose to public attention in Israel more than a decade ago on a televised talent show, openly identifying herself as a Jewish believer in Jesus. Her presence on the program briefly brought the conversation about Jewish faith in Jesus into the national spotlight. Even so, she had never fully expressed her faith in Yeshua through her own music—until now.

“In the last year or so, I realized people sing about everything—anything,” she said. “So why shouldn’t I sing about Yeshua?” She prayed for a song, and soon after, God gave her one. That song, Yeshua, quickly became part of her performances, opening doors for deeper conversations.

Earlier this year, Shai released her latest album, Yadat Shachzor (You Knew I Would Be Back), her first project that openly declares Yeshua. The album weaves together Scripture, traditional Jewish prayer influences, and Shai’s personal spiritual journey. “I hope it encourages other musicians who are believers,” she said. “We can sing about Yeshua not just inside the church, but outside—in public spaces.”

Praise God for partnerships like this that allow us to extend our reach into communities we couldn’t engage with as effectively on our own! Please keep Shai and her ministry in your prayers and pray that other believing artists like her would be bold in declaring their faith in Messiah.

Follow Shai Sol on YouTube.

Watch Shai Sol’s testimony on So Be It!