Rihanna Goes Holy

Good Girl Gone Bad singer Rihanna performed in Israel for the first time last week. The international R&B superstar wowed the crowd in Tel Aviv on May 30, as part of her "Last Girl on Earth" European tour. Rather than open ticket sales to the public, Rihanna took Israel's volunteer mentality to heart and made concert-goers earn their tickets through volunteer work.

The concert, sponsored by Israeli telecommunications giant Orange, encouraged fans to register online and complete four hours of volunteer work in order to obtain a ticket. Rihanna also got involved in the effort, as she helped scouts paint the walls of their meeting center. Volunteerism has long been a part of Israeli culture. The country was built by volunteers and organizations like the National Council for Volunteering in Israel (where I worked) continue to encourage residents and tourists to donate their time.

Rihanna also took some time to tour the Holy Land during her inaugural trip. In Jerusalem she visited the Church of the Holy Sepulchre and the Western Wall, where followed the tradition of putting a note in its cracks. She also toured around Tel Aviv and spoke very highly of her time in Israel, calling it an "amazing, amazing experience."