Eurovision star serenades SA couple under chuppah

As King David Linksfield alumnus Geena Cohen and Nathanael Stanislas stood under the chuppah in Stellenbosch 18 months ago, Noam Bettan – the Israeli Eurovision 2026 superstar ‒ surprised guests with a moving rendition of Im Eshkachech Yerushalayim (If I forget you Jerusalem). 

Bettan, a friend of the couple who met in Israel, was a guest at the November 2024 wedding. 

He and Nathanael have been best friends for 18 years, since they were 10 years old in Ra’anana and Nathanael had made aliya from France. So, when he was getting married, it was obvious Bettan would be there. However, it wasn’t a given that he would sing. 

“Noam and my friends decided to come to this wedding in South Africa when it was a complicated period for all of us Israelis to come, with the situation between our two countries since 7 October,” said Nathanael. “There was a lot of uncertainty, but it didn’t stop him and my friends taking the risk and coming to celebrate with us. I think it shows how incredible they are to put light first where there’s darkness and uncertainty. 

“We’re best friends, but I’m also not the kind of person to ask things like these,” said Nathanael. “So maybe 72 hours before the wedding, we were speaking about G-d, prayers, and the wedding, and I don’t remember exactly how, but he wanted to make Geena and me happy and he offered to sing the song.” 

Geena, who had known Bettan for more than five years at that point, knew he was talented. But when he started singing under the chuppah, she was surprised and overwhelmed as Nathanael had forgotten to tell her it would happen. 

“Standing under the chuppah is already such an overwhelming and emotional experience, but hearing his voice just elevated everything,” she said. “I had always said that if anyone were to sing at my wedding, I would want it to be Noam because he has the most breathtaking, soulful voice. However, I never actually thought it would be a reality,” she said. “When his name was called, and he started to sing, I was completely shocked in the best way imaginable. The emotion he brought to the ceremony was just pure magic; it genuinely could not have been more perfect.” 

Since then, Bettan’s star power has soared. He already had a growing fan base thanks to several successful singles and appearances on Israeli music and talent shows. Songs like Buba and tracks from his debut album had received radio play, and he was known among younger Israeli pop audiences. 

However, when he won HaKokhav HaBa (Rising Star), Israel’s Eurovision selection show, in January this year, he reached national fame. 

This was no surprise to those around Bettan as they had always believed he would become a star. 

“But the road to success is not easy, and Noam is a pure example of perseverance and hard work. He never gave up, even if some periods were harder than others,” said Nathanael, “I saw him working really hard trying to do what he loves, even if he had to be a waiter and try to tell the customers in his restaurant to listen to his songs and tell them that one day they would hear about him. He worked on himself for years and always knew that his time would come … he worked extremely hard for it and never stopped believing in it.” 

For Geena and Nathanael, seeing Bettan compete in Eurovision and do so well “was surreal”. 

“It is honestly incredible to see how far he has come,” said Geena. “I actually went to his very first performance when he released his first album right at the start of his career, so watching him completely command that massive stage in Europe, in front of millions of people, was beyond inspiring.” 

“Eurovision was made for him,” said Nathanael. “Noam speaks and sings fluently in English, French, and Hebrew. He loves music; he loves the love that music gives to people. We are Zionists and so to see him able to do what he loves and represent Israel in the best way he can, spreading love around him and light, is astonishing. I couldn’t be prouder as a friend and also as a Jew. 

“But mainly I was so happy that now not only I, our friends, and Israel, but the world was able to see how talented and how much light Noam has to give to the world. He deserves it. For me, he won it a thousand times. And the funniest thing is that a big part of me knows that it’s only the beginning for him.”