A Jew’s Life

I don’t think I have time to write what I want to write and that bothers me. My parent’s are coming to spend the weekend with us; dear friends who are moving out of the neighborhood have graced us with one meal of their last Shabbat here. When I asked questions about Maale Adumim, they were the first to respond; my first real friends here.

I’ve been cooking and baking and I need to clean and yet the computer pulls to me because I have to explain something about how Jews see the world. It’s a silly notion, this drive I have to write it here. Even if I put it into words, I don’t think many will understand. This thought, this need to write, came from a song that my daughter plays for my grandson. I first heard the song many years ago when Davidi was very young. My older daughter taught him the son and then, at Shmulik’s bar mitzvah, when he was 6 years old, he stood up on a chair and sang it to everyone in the room.

The thing is – it’s hard to see these friends go even knowing this move is best for their family. I heard the song in my head – as I’ve said, my daughter read that it helps a baby fall asleep if there is routine. It works like a charm. We play this song over and over again – and he falls asleep. Even from infancy, he is being raised as a Jew – raised with the concept that he has a responsibility for other Jews.

These friends that are moving are dedicated to this principle and they are raising their children in this same way. We all are – so though I don’t have time to write more, I’ll explain – it is the belief behind this song that pushed us to bring back Gilad Shalit from Gaza – and yes, Jonathan Pollard from America. This was our truth when we tried to bring the Jews home from Ethiopia, from Yemen, from all the Arab countries, from Russia and more.

If I were to get fanciful, I would say that the memory of a Jew lasts well beyond the limitations of a single life time. Does that explain…probably not…but you see, Shabbat is coming.

This is the translation

Our brothers the whole house of Israel, who are in distress and captivity​, who wander over sea and over land — may God have mercy on them, and bring them from distress to comfort, from darkness to light, from slavery to redemptio​n, now, swiftly, and soon. And let us say: Amen.

And here is how it sounds:

1 Comment

  1. This song is beautiful, and so is the text. Very touching.

    Sometimes, however, i suspect that it applies only to “Jews who think and behave exactely as you do”. how else could you explain the acerbic disputes between right and left, between hareidim and zionists, between orthodox and reform jews? how else could you explain that a religious jew believed (and still believes) g-d wanted him to kill the Israeli prime minister?

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