Chava Alberstein - Song of Tishrei

Closer than ever, we have reached the most fragile point. If this deal doesn't happen now, we are at risk of losing the remaining hostages, more soldiers will die in battle, and more innocent lives will be lost. For two years, a significant part of the Israeli public has felt that they have been held captive by an extreme minority government that has shown again and again that they are only interested in their own interests, and not the whole country. We're in a surreal situation where the most extreme voices in the government have not reacted to Hamas's declaration because of the Shabbat, and based on the group's vague and problematic statements, it's clear that there is going to be pushback and not everyone will be happy, to say the very least. And yet, we can't miss this opportunity, it's time to come home.

The sky is changing

before the eyes of the farmers.

The neighbors are getting ready

for the Days of Atonement.

Somebody is thinking of you

and writing down your deeds.

Come home quickly

with the cool wind.

Come home quickly

with the cool wind.

Mandarins ripen

in the orchard at their time.

The teachers cough

and go to bed early.

I've already seen a wagtail

and maybe I just imagined it-

another heat wave ended yesterday.

Summer vacation has ended.

Another heat wave ended yesterday.

Summer vacation has ended.

"What will happen and what will pass?"

ask the reporters

as along the Coastal Highway

the sea squills stand straight.

In the evening newspapers

what does the headline say?

Come home quickly

with the cool wind.

Come home quickly.

Thank you, Meeeruh, for this beautiful translation.

Yogev Glusman and Talya Dancyg - When There's Nothing to Say

It's almost the Jewish New Year, a time for summaries and looking back at the past year. I highly recommend checking out Guy Hajaj's annual end-of-the-Jewish-year playlist of his favorite Israeli songs, aptly titled 'An ugly year, beautiful songs'. I haven't been following new music as closely as I did in the past, and looking back, this is one of the songs that I remember most from the past year, perhaps because it was released just before the war with Iran, and I would often hear it on the radio while trying to somehow work and carry on. My heart breaks for Talya Dancyg, whose grandfather, Alex Dancyg, was kidnapped and later murdered in Gaza. And yet, it's hard to explain the comfort I felt when I heard her beautiful voice sing that she is not alone. Wishing a much better and different year ahead.

All the pain in the world

Lies here on my table

What should I do with it?

Time barely moves here

A trip not to here, not to there

What am I supposed to be now?

And fire

Burns inside me

It scorches - nothing can put it out

Songs

When there's nothing to say

They come, and I'm not alone

Not alone

Not alone

Between flood and tears

A box full of gifts

I could barely see

In front of me stands a girl

changed so much I could hardly recognize her

Strange face in the mirror

And fire 

Burns inside me

It scorches - nothing can put it out

Songs

When there's nothing to say

They come, and I'm not alone

Not alone

Not alone

Not alone

All the pain in the world

Lies here on my table

What should I do with it?

Check out Yogev's complete album here

LAOR - Hymn to the Soul

This beautiful song was chosen as the chuppah song at Shir Siegal's wedding a few days ago. A moving soundtrack to an emotional moment that brought tears to my eyes and to many others - seeing Shir's parents, Aviva and Keith Siegal, walk their daughter down the aisle, a long-awaited moment that almost didn't happen. As Shir wrote, "This is the image of victory. And when everyone will be home - that will be total victory. Nothing else".

Kol Ha'Neshama, Tehale Ya Hallelujah

Open up and fly

Open up and cry

So good to give, so good to receive

So good to live, so good to believe

So good to love, so good to cry

So good to forgive, so good to ahh

linktr.ee/laormusic

Orphaned Land - The Men Cry at Night

When I heard the sad news of Ozzy Osbourne's death, I thought of his last performance in Israel in 2018, as part of his farewell tour. From the footage here, it looks like it was an unforgettable night, both for Ozzy and for the lucky fans who got to see him live. Orphaned Land had the honor of opening for him, and you can hear the influence of Black Sabbath in their music, just as they have influenced so many others around the world. I came across Orphaned Land's cover of Avner Gadassi's classic a few months after October 7th. Kobi Farhi shared that they had recorded the cover before the war, and the dark lyrics suddenly became chillingly relevant. Who would have thought that they would still be so relevant almost two years later? 

When I hear the song today, my first thought goes to the hostages struggling to survive in the tunnels, especially after seeing the shocking recent footage of Evyatar David and Rom Braslavski, who were both taken captive from the Nova music festival. We are their voice, and we must do everything we can to get them finally home before it is too late. I also think about the soldiers who have fallen in Gaza and the tragically growing number of soldiers who have taken their lives. It's not a popular opinion here, but I can't stop thinking of the innocent victims in Gaza and the very real starvation that is happening there. Yes, Hamas is responsible for them, but in this situation, so is Israel. Hamas has shown that it does not care for its people and is benefiting from the international pressure on Israel. That doesn't mean that we can just close our eyes and seal our hearts. As Nietzsche wrote: "He who fights with monsters should look to it that he himself does not become a monster. And if you gaze long into an abyss, the abyss also gazes into you".

How did she die suddenly like this

The feeling of a man covered in dirt

Who hears, who knows

A man cannot shout from the ground

A stone is placed here

On your falling body

And the only mother

Is Mother Earth

The only witness forever

There you will know for sure

What it is like to taste

The earth with your tongue

The men cry at night

Their voices are not heard

The men cry at night

A disappearing cry

The men cry at night

There is nothing to hide

He who paid dearly

Is himself priceless

She knew to take

And you are underneath

Still looking up

With closed eyes

It was not known that you came 

To the vicinity below

There you are surely crying

With sealed lips

The men cry at night

Their voices are not heard

The men cry at night

A disappearing cry

The men cry at night

There is nothing to hide

He who paid dearly

Is himself priceless

Kibbutz Nahal Oz - We'll meet again

The 12-day war with Iran is over, for now, but the war in Gaza isn't over yet, and we must do everything we can to bring home Omri Miran and 49 other hostages.

Night comes and it's quiet now

Longing comes, to see and embrace you

What I'm going through, it's more than words

I have everything here except for you.

You are going through difficult days again

How do you protect yourself and what about the smiles

What are you thinking, this is difficult in words

I have everything here except for you.

We'll meet again and it'll be good

It'll be soon, soon

The two of us together, it'll be good for us

Don't worry, it'll be soon, soon

What can I tell you and this is only a letter

What can I describe for you and how to make it interesting

What can I tell you - I can't find the words

I have everything here, except, for you

We'll meet again...

Thank you, Moshe Kaye, for the lovely translation of Arik Einstein's timeless classic, performed here by the Nahal Oz community.

Vaadat Charigim - Odisea

One week in. It's crazy how quickly you can get used to a new situation, like not sleeping a full night and adjusting all your routes so you'll be near a bomb shelter. I've taken to walking my dog along the route of the underground light rail, so we'll have a dog-friendly shelter if needed, but the siren caught us once while we were in a small side street, and we took refuge in a nearby private building shelter. It was packed, and I felt a bit uncomfortable as the 'outsider', but one of the neighbors kindly offered water, and my dog loved the attention. With places closed and almost everyone working from home, or not working this past week, there was an early Covid vibe, only this time we are encouraged to be with other people, and I'm grateful to have neighbors I feel comfortable being in the shelter with at 3 am. But the home front updated the rules, and workplaces are encouraging workers to return, a strange situation when schools are still closed.

The threat from Iran has always been in the back of the mind, a matter of when, not if. Despite the danger, I feel okay with suffering a bit now if there is a chance that we won't have to live with an existential threat in the future, but only time will tell how this will play out.

When missiles will fall on Tel Aviv's streets

What will we wear? What music will we like?

And what will we do till then?

When Dizengoff Center will collapse into itself,

And the city within the city will vanish along

Please, please, please, please, kiss me at the end of the world

When missiles will fall on the central station

And the black city will disperse into the air,

And devour the White [city]

We will all be done in a great shock wave,

Let's live today as if it were yesterday

Please, please, please, please, kiss me at the end of the world

Thank you to youtube user @snurts for the translation!

Liraz - Roya

It started on Thursday. As I was rushing to finish the work week, news came in that there might be an attack on Iran. This wasn't a far-stretched possibility, considering the stalled talks with the U.S. and, yes, also Netanyahu's fragile coalition, which was on the brink of falling apart due to tensions with the ultra-Orthodox parties. But we all agreed that if there was something, it would be sometime the next week, right after Netanyahu's son's much-discussed wedding. On Thursday night we were busy getting ready for Pride weekend, which was supposed to make a festive comeback after last year's low-key event due to the war. And then the siren woke us up at 3 am. At first I thought it was a missile from Yemen, which we've somehow gotten used to. But it was strange that there was no information in the red-alert app. We soon learned that Israel had attacked Iran, and we were instructed to be alert and near a shelter in case there was immediate retaliation. I understand the rationale behind this, especially when not everyone has a shelter in their house, but I was pretty annoyed that I had been woken up by this very loud FYI when no rockets had been launched yet. My thoughts turned to Caitlyn Jenner, who had just landed in Israel as a guest of honor for the Pride parade. She had come to Israel to support us, and now she was stuck in the country during a war with no option to leave due to the closed airspace. But the next day, after Iran's first retaliation attack, a photo of her sitting in a shelter with a glass of wine went viral and lifted our spirits. We'll get through this. This isn't another attack, and things will be different this time, as we learned when we woke up to sirens later in the night and again early this morning, seeing the devastation of the missile strikes targeted at civilian areas.

There's still so much uncertainty, but I want to share the words the singer Liraz Charhi posted yesterday to her followers in Iran: "My sisters and brothers, freedom is coming. Don't be afraid - the songs we wrote together are coming true, we sing together. Music will connect our hearts until the day comes when we will all live, free. We are with you, closer than ever. Our dream to live together, without dictatorial rule - so close. A new day is coming when you can rejoice, dance, sing, hug and kiss in the streets. We will sing again in Freedom Square in Iran and Israel. Soon. Love and support you, Liraz". 

I vow to myself, myself

To fly my flags

tall and high

To gaze upon the horizon

With my valor

And march towards the fantasy

A heavenly innocence 

Filled with goodness

Pure and translucent as rain

Our body will glide over the ocean

My voice is intoxicated,

And you, facing me, so real

My fantasy

I wished for peace in the world

But could not understand

Who is fighting whom

I will not lose my hope

You'll see, our hearts will cross

My fantasy