and Beketzev Acher present a weekend to remember!
March 19-22, 2026
Shlomi Peleg
Memorial Scholarship Fund
Honoring Our Dear Friend Shlomi Peleg
If you ever danced at Hilulim – or anywhere in the New York Area – you knew Shlomi Peleg. An avid dancer, Shlomi was a vital, friendly, and just plain wonderful member of our Israeli dance community.
Sadly, Shlomi passed away suddenly in May, 2024.
Shlomi started dancing 25 years ago, after Danny Uziel noticed him dancing a waltz with his wife Ronit at a friend’s Mimuna celebration. Danny told Shlomi and Ronit that they "would be great at rikudai am" – and so they began their entrance into the world of Israeli dance. Shlomi and Ronit even practiced dancing in their bedroom in those early days! It was meant-to-be that they would be part of our Israeli dance world.
Shlomi was not-at-all a show-off or someone who bragged (except maybe about his kids and grandchildren!), so you may not know that Shlomi was the creator and Webmaster of Rikudim.net, which was among the earliest Israeli dance Websites that included dance video collections. It also served as a place for dancers to find out about workshops and dance parties throughout the world.
In 2007, Ronit and Shlomi came to their first Hilulim. From then on, you couldn’t stop him! He and Ronit became regulars at all the New York and New Jersey sessions, and even if somehow you missed his glowing smile, you couldn't miss the positive energy and joy he emitted on the dance floor.
To honor Shlomi and his many contributions to Israeli folk dancing, Shlomi’s family has created the Shlomi Peleg Scholarship Fund, to honor Shlomi and his love for Israeli dancing, and to keep his memory close to our hearts. The Fund will be used to support attendance at Hilulim for dancers needing financial assistance.
We can never forget Shlomi, and we never want to forget him. His warmth and friendliness were magical, and he was ALWAYS eager to help, ALWAYS with that huge smile, especially when he was dancing. Shlomi’s contributions to Hilulim and to his Israeli dance family were many, and we will always remember Shlomi for the incredible dancer, person, and friend that he was.
May Shlomi’s memory be a blessing and an inspiration to all of us.
If you are interested in learning more about the Shlomi Peleg Scholarship Fund, send an email to HilulimUSA@gmail.com, with subject, “Shlomi Peleg Scholarship”.