YOM HA’ATZMAUT EVE Music and lyrics by EHUD BANAI

BACKGROUND ON EHUD BANAI ABOUT THE SONG

• Banai’s first album was released in 1987. It contained several hits, • This song comes from Banai’s latest album, that came out in early and he continues to be a successful singer-songwriter to this day. 2020. • He comes from a famous show-biz family, with uncles, cousins, • Israeli music artists spend Yom Ha’atzmaut performing a few songs nephews and nieces involved in TV or music. in one place, jumping into a van and driving to perform a few songs at the next place – all day and night…

מְדַ ּלֵג מִ ּבָמָה אֵל ּבָמָ ה, Skip from stage to stage Medaleg mibama lebama זִּקּוקִ ים וְעַל הָאֵׁשּבְ כָלּפִ ּנָה Fireworks and barbecues in every corner Zikukim ve’al ha’esh b’chol pinah הֶעָם מַקְ טִ ירעֹולֹות ּוזְבָחִ ים, The nation burns incense, Ha’am maktir olot uzvachim בעֶרֶ יֹום הָעַצְמָ אּות לַּמְדִ ינָה Makes burnt offerings and sacrifices1 Erev yom ha’atzmaut lamedina Independence Day Eve of the State

הַּקָהָל מְ עֻרְ ּבָב מִ זְרָח ּומַ עֲרָ ב The crowd is mixed East and West Hakahal me’urbav mizrach uma’arav וְָארִיתְרֵאִ ים ׁשֶהָלְכּו לְאִ ּבּוד ּבַּמִדְ ּבָר, And Eritreans who got lost in the desert V’Eritreyim shehalchu l’ibud bamidbar ּפְעִ ילִים זֹועֲמִ ים מְ נִיפִ ים אֶגְרֹופִ ים Furious activists waving fists Pe’ilim zo’amim m’nifim egrofim צֹועֲקִ ים לְעֶבְרִ י: זְמַ ָּנְך עָבַר! !and shouting to me: “Your time is up!”2 Tzo’akim l’evri: Zmancha Avar וַאֲנִי לֹאיֹודֵ עַ אִם הֵם מְ בַּקְׁשִ ים אֶתהַּׁשִ יר And I don’t know if they’re asking for the song V’ani lo yode’a im hem mevakshim et hasher אֹוׁשֶ אּולַי הֵ ם רֹוצִ ים ׁשֶ אֲנִי ַאפְסִ יק ְוְאֵלֵך Or maybe they want me to finish up and go Oh she’ulay hem rotzim she’ani afsik v’elech ּובֵינְתַ יִםהַ ּכֹל ׁשָם קרַ ְ הֹולֵךּומִסְּתַ ְּבֵך... …And in the meantime everything gets even more messed up… Uventayim hakol sham rak holech umistabech מִּׂשְ מֹאלמֹופִ יעָהלַהֲקַת הַּמָחֹול הַּקִ ּבּוצִ ית, On the left appears the kibbutz dance troupe Mismol mofiya lahakat hamachol hakibbutzit

MAKOM'S NEW ISRAELI PLAYLIST 1 ּבַהֹורָ העַכְׁשָ וִוית ּומְ סַחְרֶרֶ ת In a swirling contemporary hora Bahora achshavit um’sachreret ּומִ ּיָמִין מִתְ נַחֲלִים םעִ עֵדֶר עִ ּזִים And on the right settlers with a herd of goats Umiyamin mitnachlim im eder izim וְרַב ָאמֵרִ יקָאִ יעַל ּכָאפִ ּיָה מְ עֹופֶפֶת, And an American rabbi on a flying keffiah V’rav Amerika’I al kafiya m’ofefet הַּמִפְרָט ׁשֶּלִי נֹוזֵל, My fret melts away Hamifrat sheli nozel אֲנִי ׁשֹוכֵחַמִ ּלִים, I forget the words Ani shoche’ach ְ ְ אֵיך הַחֲלֹום נֶהֱפַך לִי לַּסִ ּיּוט How did this dream become a nightmare? Eych hachalom nehefach li lasiyut לֹא מְ זַהֶה אֶת יחַבְרֵ לַּלַהֲקָ ה, I don’t recognize my band mates Lo mezaheh et chavrei lalehakah וַּדַ אי נָפְ לָהּכָאן טָ עּות. I’m sure there’s been some mistake. Vaday naflah kan ta’ut

מְדַ ּלֵג מִ ּבָמָה אֵל ּבָמָ ה, Skip from stage to stage Medaleg mibama lebama זִּקּוקִ ים וְעַל הָאֵׁשּבְ כָלּפִ ּנָה Fireworks and barbecues in every corner Zikukim v’al ha’esh bechol pina הֶעָם מַקְ טִ ירעֹולֹות ּוזְבָחִ ים, The nation burns incense, Ha’am maktir olot uzvachim בעֶרֶ יֹום הָעַצְמָ אּות לַּמְדִ ינָה Makes burnt offerings and sacrifices Erev yom ha’atzmaut lamedina Independence Day Eve of the State

מַקְהֵ לַת הַּקְׁשִיׁשִ ים מְ נִיפָה ּפַּטִיׁשִ ים An elderly choir waves plastic hammers Makhelat hakshishim m’nifim patishim עַל הַ ּנֹעַר הָעֹובֵד עִםהַחֶרְ מֵׁש ּבְקָמָ ה At the Youth Movement with scythes at the ready Al hano’ar ha’oved im hachermesh b’kama אֵי םמִּׁשָ מֹופִ יעָה ׁשַ ּיָרָהׁשֶ לּגְמַּלִים, Somewhere over there appears a caravan of camels Ey sham mofiya shayara shel gmalim יְחִ ידַ תצַנְחָ נִים מִסְּתַ תעֶרֶ עַל הַּבָמָ ה. A parachutists’ unit charges the stage Yechidat tzanchanim mista’arim al habama מִיׁשֶהּו םקָ וְׁשֹואֵל: ה"לָּמָ לֹא אֹומְרִ ים ּכָאן הַ ּלֵל?" ”?Someone gets up and asks: “Why aren’t we saying Hallel?” Mishehu kam v’sho’el: “Lama lo omrim kan hallel ּומִיׁשֶהּו ַאחֵ ר אֹומֵ ר: " לֹא, לֹא הַ ּלֵל, ּתַ חֲנּון!" ”!And someone else says: “No, not Hallel, Tachanun!”3 Umishehu acher omer: “Lo, lo hallel, tachanum וְרַ אּפֶר ּבֵדּואִ י עֹולֶהלַּבָמָה וְצֹועֵק: A Bedouin rapper gets on stage and shouts: V’Rapper bedou’I oleh labama v’tzo’ek "אִ ּיַנְּתֶ וָאִ ּיַנְּתֶוָאִ ּיַנְּתֶמַגְ'נּון!" !Arabic) “Hey you and you and you are crazy! What’s going on? “Inteh wa’inte wa’inte majnun) "ׁשּו אֶלְָאיַיאם, ווֵנּו סַלַאם." .Where’s the Peace?!” Shu elayam, wenu salaam

מְדַ ּלֵג מִ ּבָמָה אֵל ּבָמָ ה, Skip from stage to stage Medaleg mibama lebama זִּקּוקִ ים וְעַל הָאֵׁשּבְ כָלּפִ ּנָה Fireworks and barbecues in every corner Zikukim ve’al ha’esh b’chol pinah הֶעָם מַקְ טִ ירעֹולֹות ּוזְבָחִ ים, The nation burns incense, makes burnt offerings and sacrifices Ha’am maktir olot uzvachim בעֶרֶ יֹום הָעַצְמָ אּות לַּמְדִ ינָה Independence Day Eve of the State Erev yom ha’atzmaut lamedina

MAKOM'S NEW ISRAELI PLAYLIST 2 FOOTNOTES AND NOW YOU

1. A reference to Temple life, over 2000 years ago in Jerusalem. • Who should also be at the party? • Why do you think this fascinating variety of Israelis comes to Banai ?Zmancha Avar” is the name of a famous in the form of a nightmare - זמנך עבר – Your Time Is Up“ .2 song by Ehud Banai – hence his confusion. • Banai’s dream/nightmare Yom Ha’atzmaut party is a bit of a let- down. What was the most uplifting Yom Ha’atzmaut party you have 3. There is a halachic discussion about whether the Hallel prayer attended? And the most disappointing? of praise should be said on Yom Ha’atzmaut – the sign that the • What do you think about National Independence days in general? establishment of the State of was a miracle. Some communities What is/would be the best way to celebrate your country’s do say Hallel, but others don’t. Tachanun is more of a supplicatory Independence day? What is/would be the best way to celebrate mournful prayer, that is usually omitted on joyful holidays. The Israel’s Independence Day? implication here is that not only was the establishment of the State not a miracle, it was not even a joyful event! THEMES

## Yom Ha’atzmaut in Jewish life ## Yom Ha’atzmaut in Israel ## Diversity ## Tribalism ## Celebration ## Unity

MAKOM'S NEW ISRAELI PLAYLIST 3