In how many notes can you name that tune? Over the years, we at CBI have sung various parts of the Shabbat liturgy using some of the beautiful melodies of familiar classic Israeli folk songs. Since October 7th, we have done this with increased frequency, not only because the melodies are so emotive, but they also help to connect us with the people, culture, and land of Israel. Many of these songs were composed by the legendary Israeli songwriter/lyricist Naomi Shemer. This Hebrew month of Tammuz marks the 20th anniversary of her passing. Naomi Shemer was one of the most prolific and important Hebrew songwriters/lyricists since the founding of the State of Israel. Many of the hundreds of songs she wrote formed the very bedrock of Israeli culture.
Born on July 13, 1930 at Kibbutz K’vutzat Kinneret, where her Lithuanian immigrant parents were founding members, Shemer studied in Jerusalem, then returned to the Kibbutz and eventually lived most of her life in Tel Aviv. Her songs reflect her love and appreciation of the beautiful landscapes and cityscapes of Israel. Shemer integrated numerous Biblical and traditional Jewish themes in her songs; she also set to music numerous poems by leading Hebrew poets such as Rachel, Nathan Alterman, Shaul Tchernichovsky, Haim Nahman Bialik, and Lea Goldberg. Shemer herself even wrote many light-hearted songs.
The impact of Shemer’s lifelong musical commentary on Israeli popular culture was immense. Mordechai Beck described her significance and creative potency in his obituary of Shemer: “There was something almost oracular about Shemer’s work, as though she represented the feminine side of Zionism, an earth mother come to reclaim her rightful heritage, not with arms and violence, but with poetry and song; not with the fist, but with the heart.”
One of my most favorite songs is Yerushalayim Shel Zahav, composed by Shemer in 1967 (pre-war). Shemer was asked to write a song for a 1967 Israeli Independence Day song festival and she composed Yerushalayim Shel Zahav (Jerusalem of Gold) in a time of tension in Israel in anticipation of a war. It was performed at the festival by Shuli Natan and the audience was so entranced, she ended up singing it three times. The story goes that a minute after the third rendition, IDF Chief of Staff at the time, Yitzhak Rabin, received a note informing him about the closure of the Strait of Tiran. Two weeks later the Six-Day War began. Throughout this period, Yerushalayim Shel Zahav was played constantly on the radio and it’s been said that paratroopers at the Western Wall sang this song instead of saying prayers. Two weeks after the conquest of East Jerusalem, Shemer tacked on a verse that refers to Israelis returning to the Old City. The song’s popularity continued to increase and in 1968 a bill was even proposed before the Knesset to change the national anthem from Hatikvah to Yerushalayim Shel Zahav!
Many of Naomi Shemer’s songs speak of hope and optimism. A song that is very special to me, Lu Yehi (which means “Let It Be”), which Shemer composed just before the Yom Kippur War in 1973, is really a contemporary prayer and a fervent hope that all we ask for in our lives – both the basic things which we often take for granted, as well as the safety of those who defend our freedom – may it be so.
Another stirring and very popular Shemer song is Al Kol Eleh, composed in 1980. Like many of her songs, at first glance it seems like a naïve prayer, hoping for the best. Taking a deeper look, one discovers how the personal and the national are woven together, expressing the sentiment that has been part of the Jewish experience for centuries: a deep desire to protect loved ones, understanding that terrible things may come, praying for God’s grace, alongside the ability to accept the good with the bad.
Without the darkness there is no light, without the bitter we have no ability to recognize what is sweet. This song talks about accepting the bitter with the sweet – the sting with the honey – and asks God for protection over what the Jewish people have built in the land of Israel, without clarifying where the personal ends and the collective begins because in Israel there is no clear line. The last line of the refrain, “bring me home and I will return to the wonderful land,” has added significance and intensity now as we pray for the safe return of the hostages being held captive in Gaza.
Naomi Shemer left us an immortal legacy of Hebrew songs which have truly enhanced my life and touched my soul, and which, I’m sure, will similarly impact many generations to come. As we commemorate her Yahrtzeit, let us pay tribute to this great musical artist and her invaluable contributions to the State of Israel and to our Jewish musical heritage.
Here are links to performances of Naomi Shemer’s songs that I particularly like, and were mentioned in this article! Enjoy listening!
Israeli police sing Yerushalayim Shel Zahav for Yom Yerushalayim 2023
Lu Yehi by Naomi Shemer, Sung by HaZamir Israel, June 2023
The Israel Philharmonic with the IDF Orchestra – Al Kol Eleh
