"Part of Me Died": Dvir Drori Releases Song in Memory of His Brother with Ehud Banai | Interview

Dvir Drori, 26, from Jerusalem, wrote and composed the song "Garden of Solitude" in memory of his brother, Sergeant Hanan Drori, who was critically wounded in the fighting in Gaza and passed away after a prolonged struggle. The song, recorded in collaboration with singer Ehud Banai, is a personal commemoration project that combines pain, longing, and hope. "I wrote the song from a feeling of loneliness and a desire for connection," Dvir shares in an interview with Srugim.

The Certificate of Excellence Arrived After His Death

Hanan Drori was an exceptional person, as Dvir describes him: "He was my best friend and also a mentor for me. I always looked up to him." Hanan combined a deep sense of responsibility with humor and lightheartedness. He studied biotechnology at Hadassah College and became an outstanding student, despite lacking an academic background. "We received the certificate of excellence that he was supposed to receive after he passed away," Dvir recounts.

Hanan wasn't supposed to be called up for reserve duty due to a herniated disc, but on October 7, when his friends were fighting in the "Iron Swords" war, he felt he had to act. The turning point came when his fiancée's brother was injured. "He sat at home and was going crazy... He felt that it couldn't be that there was such a war and friends were risking their lives while he wasn't there," Dvir shares.

Hanan joined the Commando Brigade as part of the deputy battalion commander's headquarters team. Hanan was severely injured and passed away on February 8, 2024, after two months of struggle, including an attempt to bring an experimental drug from Ireland.

Music: An Escape That Became a Bridge

Music was always a central part of Dvir and Hanan's lives. Dvir, a computational biology student, has played flute, guitar, and piano from a young age. "Music has always been a significant part of my life," he says. The brothers loved Ehud Banai, and his songs accompanied them at performances, at home on Fridays, and in everyday life. "Ehud's soundtrack was part of the soundtrack of our home, during cleaning, cooking, and just in general," Dvir recalls.

After Hanan's death, music lost its meaning for Dvir. "I told Ehud that I truly feel that music and the ability to create or feel something meaningful from music disappeared for me, that a significant part of me died," he shares. But at the thirty-day memorial ceremony on Mount Herzl, Banai gave him a meaningful insight: "He told me that music is a way to connect with those who are no longer here."

Garden of Solitude: A Meeting in the Heart

The song "Garden of Solitude" was born out of pain and longing. "I wrote the song from a feeling of loneliness and a desire for connection, and perhaps some kind of meeting that happens but is internal," Dvir explains. The song describes a moment of connection between brothers, which exists only in the heart. Dvir worked on the melody and lyrics for a long period, and when he felt the song was ready, he approached Banai. "I decided that I wanted to release this song, for his voice to be heard in the world," he says.

Banai agreed to sing with him, and the recording was produced by Ossi Shiloh. "Ehud is a very dear person. He was moved by the song, and apart from perhaps small comments about an unnecessary word, he didn't change things in the melody," Dvir shares. The song, which will be released on streaming platforms before Memorial Day, is a personal and non-commercial tribute. "It's an attempt to remember Hanan, and to touch people who know this feeling from within," says Dvir.

The Lesson from Hanan: Responsibility and Complexity

Dvir wants Hanan to be remembered as a unique person who lived by values. "If I had to sum him up in one word, I would say uniqueness. He was the most unique person I've ever known," he says. Hanan taught him about responsibility: "Hanan's story is a story of taking responsibility. He understood good from bad and didn't sit on the fence. When he was needed, he was there."

Hanan also exemplified human complexity. "Laughter and sadness, seriousness and lightheartedness – the ability to understand that human beings are complex creatures, capable of containing contradictions within them." Dvir would like us to learn this quality from Hanan. "Perhaps that we become less critical of the contradictions within us, within society," he says.

Remembrance Through Music

"Garden of Solitude" is a bridge between life and memory, between pain and hope. Through the song, Dvir continues his connection with Hanan and invites us to connect to longing and internal embrace. The collaboration with Ehud Banai adds human warmth and turns Hanan's story into a message of love, responsibility, and acceptance. The song is an invitation to share Hanan's memory and spread the message ahead of Memorial Day.