The Israeli Opera turns 40 this year, an age that invites both celebration and reflection.For an institution that has long navigated the tension between cultural establishment and creative experimentation, this milestone is not just about marking time – it is a chance to ask what opera means here and now, in a country where the word “stage” carries layers of history, identity, and imagination.Presenting the new season to the press, general director Tali Barash-Gottlieb spoke with both pride and