Karen Davis

Karen Davis is a Messianic music singer who is the worship leader of Kehilat HaCarmel (Carmel Assembly), a Messianic congregation built in Mount Carmel, in Haifa, Israel.
Davis is considered "one of the most recognizable" and representative women singers in Messianic worship music. She sings both in Hebrew and English, and many of her songs have been included in important messianic music multi-artist compilations such as Galilee of the Nations' series: "Adonai", "Elohim", and the "Heart for Israel"

Early years

Karen was born in Detroit, United States and was raised within a Jewish reformed family that used to go to the synagogue only in holidays. However, she describes that the predominant "religion" at home was humanism. She had classical music lessons in Philadelphia and later she went to New York City trying to find better chances in musical scene. There, she became member of a rock band.

Conversion

In New York she was in a constant spiritual searching. For a short period of time, she explored New Age and occult practices. Later, she befriended a Christian woman named Camile, whose job was to create characters for the Muppets. One day after a conversation about her searching, Camile asked Karen if she would like to pray. She agreed and then they prayed what would be described by Karen as a kind of sinner's prayer. She stated that at that moment she did not really understand what had happened because it was something that she had never done before and was against any belief and prejudice she had against Christianity. Nonetheless, she eventually experienced a spiritual awakening and would later start reading the New Testament perceiving it as a continuation of the Old Testament story she had known as a child. She described that through reading the Bible, she felt as if God's love were transforming her entire life. Later she openly confessed Yeshua as Messiah and quit singing in the rock band, "tired" of singing songs about man-woman relationships.

Ministry

Karen married David Davis, a Christian pastor and author who was ordained in World Challenge, a ministry directed by David Wilkerson, whom the couple have also been related with. After her wedding, Karen had a strong desire to travel to Israel to preach the Gospel, and having considered it with her husband, they both moved to Jerusalem as new immigrants. Later, in 1990, they moved to the city of Haifa.

In 1989, she and her husband David founded the ministry Aliyah, and later established a bible-based rehabilitation center Beit Nitzachon (House of Victory), with the purpose of helping Jewish and Arab drug addicts overcome their struggles.

In 1990, the Davises met Peter and Rita Tsukahira, a couple of Japanese immigrants, and invited them to be co-founders and ministers of a new congregation. They accepted, and in 1991, after the Gulf War, they all founded the ministry Kehilat HaCarmel (Carmel Assembly). The place is located at Northern Israel, and according to the Davises, the land was given for free by believers from England. Through the years, Beit Nitzachon has received many refugees and women who had been abused through many kinds of intrafamiliar violence. Karen describes wars, satanism and New Age practices as "the main spiritual problems" in the land of Haifa.

Messianic music career

Nowadays, Karen is known internationally as one of the greatest exponents of messianic Jewish music. Karen's albums have been recorded in the Holy Land, and have been produced by his longtime collaborator, Gabriel Alonso, who is also a producer of Christian French music (as Andy et Gabriel Alonso) and who has arranged music for Paul Baloche and Michael W. Smith

Karen is also featured as soloist in "highly acclaimed" messianic compilations such as Land of Israel, Adonai, Elohim, and Yeshua. Billboard Magazine called "Adonai" compilation a "stunning record", and described musicians as Karen as "powerful artists".

• Shout From The Mountain (1997)
• Yeshua (2001)
• Sar Shalom: Breakthrough from the Land of Israel (2003)
• Israel, My Beloved (2006)
• The Lord Roars From Zion: Songs of the Warrior Bride (2009)
• Songs in the night (2011)