Yerushalayim Shel Zahav – Natan and Ben
Looking at a mizrachi-sounding version of Naomi Shemer’s classic, and comparing it with the original.
Looking at a mizrachi-sounding version of Naomi Shemer’s classic, and comparing it with the original.
A 14 page document exploring the way other nations celebrate a distant homeland. Can we learn from them? And can we learn from our own Jewish festivals to find a form for Yom Haatzmaut?
Immediately after fighting in the parachutist unit that conquered Jerusalem in 1967, Meir Ariel wrote new words to Naomi Shemer’s then-new song. Jerusalem of Iron was a massive hit in Israel, until Shemer added her post-6 Day War additional verses.
Although some thirty years later Ariel dismissed his song as the “product of combat shock and whisky”, it continues to resonate for a segment of the population. In general, Ariel’s work is cited as a huge influence on Israel’s top musicians of today.
If you’ve been to Israel lately, you might have seen Masada, the kotel, and the Tel Aviv nightlight. But did you notice the 180,000 migrant workers from the Philippines, China, Thailand and other countries, performing the agricultural and service jobs that help Israel thrive? They are also one of the most vulnerable groups in Israel; as non-citizens, non-Hebrew speakers, and non-Jews, they are often an invisible ‘other.’
For the downloadable pdf, click here