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Sotna

2026-ongoing


Children singing during the warm-up at Sotna’s youth orchestra classes in Umm al-Khair.
Children’s performance at Sotna’s youth orchestra at Umm al-Khair.

Kai Jack (right), the co-founder of Sotna, leading the children of Umm al-Khair during their musical performance.

Noor resting on the soccer field in Umm al-Khair, named the Awdah Hathaleen Memorial Soccer Field, currently under threat by demolition orders from Israeli authorities. 
In the background are new outposts built by settler Yinon Levi who shot Awdah Hathaleen in July 2025.

Sotna, a music program led by volunteers and activists in Area C of the West Bank, started in February of 2025 to offer joy, connection, and solidarity amidst increasing violence and displacement in the West Bank.

Umm al Khair, a village in the South Hebron Hills, has become a major target for Israeli settlements in the area. In response to the violent threats, Sotna started a youth orchestra in the village which offers kids as well as families a safe haven and a chance to heal through music, with rehearsals happening a couple times per week.

In the words of Sotna’s programming, “even in the most difficult circumstances, music can nurture resilience, dignity, dreams, and sumud (steadfastness).”



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Children singing during the warm-up at Sotna’s youth orchestra classes in Umm al-Khair.
Children’s performance at Sotna’s youth orchestra at Umm al-Khair.
Kai Jack (right), the co-founder of Sotna, leading the children of Umm al-Khair during their musical performance.

Noor resting on the soccer field in Umm al-Khair, named the Awdah Hathaleen Memorial Soccer Field, currently under threat by demolition orders from Israeli authorities. 
In the background are new outposts built by settler Yinon Levi who shot Awdah Hathaleen in July 2025.