September 3, 2004/Elul 17 5763, Vol. 55, No. 50
Pop stars for Israel
MATTHEW E. BERGER
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 Musical duo Evan Lowenstein, left, and twin Jaron often take a break from touring to advocate for Israel. Photo courtesy of JTA |
The Lowenstein twins, who had a Top 10 hit in 2001 with "Crazy for This Girl," have found time to speak out for Israel a lot lately, and have written a song to honor the Jewish state.
Evan Lowenstein, 30, says he and his brother receive 30 to 40 requests each week for personal appearances.
Besides coordinating a tour schedule that must stop on Saturdays for Shabbat, the pair juggle last-minute calls from programs like "The Late Late Show with Craig Kilborn." The former semi-professional baseball players also participated in a minor league all-star game this summer.
As observant Jews from the Atlanta area, the duo was wary of performing for Jewish organizations when they first became known nationwide. Concerned about getting involved in controversial territory, the group stuck to performing at children's hospitals and Special Olympics events.
"It's dangerous to stick your neck out," Evan says. "People get killed for their beliefs."
But as they have matured, they have become more interested in the topics of religious pluralism and Israel. Both brothers studied at yeshivas in Israel when they were teenagers, and their sister now lives there.
So Evan and Jaron, who left their record label so that they could play the music they wanted and sell albums for a cheaper price, are following their gut on this as well.
"It's far more important to make sure Israel stays around than to make sure I stay around," Evan says.
He has helped launch a line of necklaces that are filled with soil from holy sites in Israel.
"Our whole thing is, whether you are Jewish or Christian, we all share a common ground in Israel," Evan says. "Where is the common denominator? The common denominator is the soil of Israel."
The Common Ground Necklace, available at www.forcommonground.com, was launched over the summer in the United States.
The duo performed the song they wrote about Israel Aug. 29 at New York City's Baruch College, at an Israel Project event remembering victims of terrorism in Israel.
Evan said he admires the work of The Israel Project because he believes the media has unfairly portrayed Israel as the aggressor in the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. The organization's mission is largely focused on bringing positive stories about Israel into the public eye, and refuting negative charges against the Jewish state.