Israeli sax player, singer and composer Daniel Zamir is a man of contradiction. Once a secular Israeli Jazz musician moving to New York in an attempt to escape Israeliness, he is now an ultra-orthodox Jew living in Israel. Alongside his faith, he continues to be an active Jazz musician, collaborating with prominent figures of Israeli Jazz and popular music alike. As Zamir himself attested, it was his stay in New York, and his acquaintance with avant-garde master John Zorn in particular, that led him to Jewish faith - and ultimately back to Israel. Zamir’s many-faced identity is also evident in his music: despite being influenced by John Coltrane, Eric Dolphy and Charlie Parker, Zamir’s original compositions often carry a rather different character. Zamir originally thought of them as being middle eastern or Mediterranean, but it was Zorn’s reference to them as “Jewish” that clicked something for him. Moreover, Zamir has recorded many cover versions of Israeli popular songs – among them an album dedicated to Israeli folk song. The presentation will concern itself with Zamir’s music, its various influences and its relation to the complexities of Israeli music and culture. As I will argue, the varying labels of Zamir’s music are well rooted in musical similarities between middle eastern, Mediterranean and Klezmer traditions. In addition, I will suggest that Zamir is part of a cultural-musical realm attempting to bridge the gap between Israeliness and Jewishness, very much conceived by the Zionist movement in the late 19th and early 20th century.