Intimacy with Israeli Culture and Expression (Pride)
Introduction:
We believe that one of the most beautiful expressions of להיות עם חופשי בארצנו (To be a Free People in Our Land) is the flourishing of Jewish culture and art that has emerged as a natural progression from the Jewish people building a thriving society in their ancestral homeland.
Goals:
Reaching intimacy with Israeli popular culture.
Our identity is enriched and informed by many aspects of popular culture, yet Israeli popular culture often remains distant from us due in large part to language. Technology and our own creativity can now act as a bridging tool.
In this activity, we will look at the way videos of several popular Israeli rock songs communicate – through visuals and through translations. We will then make our own interpretive music videos, and share our finished products with one another.
In this way, through creative interpretation, we will ‘own’ Israeli songs that tell fascinating and different stories about Israel today.
Videomaker, a popular video production magazine said: “In the last 25 years, the invigorating art form of making a music video has grown to be one of the most influential and individually stylistic modes of production in the industry. From the first frame to the last, music videos serve as a blank canvas to your mind’s eye, a place to show the world what you can really do when let loose with a camera.”
Instructions:
PART ONE – WHAT DOES A VIDEO DO?
In class, explore three songs and their video representations.
In this way the class will gain a language and an appreciation of the potential of this form.
1. “Hebrewman”, by Ehud Banai. (see lyrics below)
Speak up, the language of the Hebrewman
Loud and clear! the language of the Hebrewman!.
It is the language of the prophets
of the sign up on the wall
it is old and sacred
It will open up your soul.
Speak up, the language of the Hebrewman
Loud and clear! the language of the Hebrewman.
From the deepest mess of downtown Babylon
it will take you to the next train to Mount Zion
It will get you up, it will make you fly
the language of the Hebrewman will take you high
You know Abraham spoke the language of the hebrewman
And also Jesus from Nazareth and Maria Magdalene
Einstein, Jeremiah the Dylan and the Cohen
They know something about the language of the Hebrew man…
And when the Lord said let there be Light
it was in the language of the Hebrewman
and when Moses said: let my people go
it was in the language of the Hebrewman
speak the language of the Hebrewman.
[And on that day a great new light will shine]
[The crack will open slowly, slowly will fall the wall]
[And when the time comes on will come in the name of the One]
[All the whole world will know one language]
Speak the language of the Hebrewman.
[And when the time comes on will come in the name of the One]
[All the whole world will know one language]
[Slowly we’ll build the Temple, line by line & letter by letter]
[Don’t say bye-bye to me, just say “Lehitra’ot”]
Speak the language of the Hebrewman.
and let us all say halleluya
Let us all say : amen
a day will come and everybody
will speak the language of the Hebrewman.
Guiding questions:
- Which aspects of the video enhanced the song, which aspects got in the way?
- Which images helped you understand something, and which images pulled you further from understanding?
- Were there any moments when you felt the video was flowing with the song?
- Were there any moments when you felt the video was trying to say something different from the song?
- What do you think about the way the song praises Hebrew, but is mostly in English?
2. Yetziat Mitzrayim (Exodus from Egypt), by Etti Ankri
| To leave in the exodus from Egypt
To arrive in the desert Perhaps we’ll find some water there On the way to the mountain May it open in two The salt water And we shall pass in between All those who are weeping And they are gaining on us An army of cavalry It is difficult for Moshe The people have no faith in their hearts The beach’s touch is calming The sea gapes open its mouth What if we return to Egypt? Fear has no memory We were builders of pyramids Interpreters of dreams We had nothing we could call our own Only salt and tears This is Jacob’s pain Over little Joseph Sown within us Is senseless brotherly hatred And sometimes it seems to me When I am ready to give up Pharaoh is my disorder And I am sad for Egypt And sometimes it seems to me What we are still there Walking towards the mountain Begging for water May it open up in two The salt water And we shall pass in between – All those that are walking |
לצאת ביציאת מצרים
לבוא אל המדבר אולי נמצא שם מים בדרך אל ההר שיפתחו לשניים המים המלוחים ונעבור באמצע כל אלה שבוכים והם עולים עלינו צבא של פרשים קשה מאוד למשה אין אמונה בלב האנשים מגע החוף מגיע הים את פיו פוער אולי נחזור מצרימה הפחד לא זוכר בנינו פירמידות פתרנו חלומות כלום לא היה שלנו רק מלח ודמעות זה הכאב של יעקב על יוסף הקטן זרוע בתוכנו שנאת אחים חינם ולפעמים נדמה לי כשבא לי להרים ידיים פרעה הוא הפרעה שלי וצר לי ממצרים ולפעמים נדמה לי שאנחנו עדיין שם הולכים בדרך אל ההר מתחננים למים שיפתחו לשניים המים המלוחים ונעבור באמצע כל אלה שהולכים |
Guiding questions:
- Which images in the video enhanced the song, which images got in the way?
- Which images helped you understand something, and which images pulled you further from understanding?
- Were there any moments when you felt the video was flowing with the song?
- Were there any moments when you felt the video was trying to say something different from the song?
- Can you imagine a Bible song ever getting major mainstream airplay in the States? What do you think it tells you about Israel, that this song did?
Nothing at all – Knisiyat HaSechel
This first video has no translation
What is the video saying to you?
[Here you should allow for a free-ranging conversation. If opinions are not forthcoming, throw out some observations: the fact that all the actors are children, that at first the kids are at an army exhibition, that there are kids from all ethnic and religious backgrounds. Why/what is the child climbing? What of the oversized army uniform, stripping off the uniform? And what of the foetus-shaped gathering of bodies?]
There are no wrong answers for this conversation, personal interpretations and individual responses are welcome.
Now play the clip with the subtitles included.
- How does seeing the translation affect your understanding of the video?
The words to this song come from a poem written by a young soldier, Erez Shtark. He died in a notorious military helicopter crash in February 1997. The poem was read out at his funeral, and eventually turned into a rock song by Knisiyat HaSechel.
- How does this information affect your understanding of the video?
PART TWO – MAKE YOUR OWN!
After this introductory lesson, send the students home with a clear assignment:
Create your own interpretive video to an Israeli song. The video must include a simultaneous translation, and some form of additional imagery – stills, animation, or video – that for you expresses/enhances the meaning of the song.
Students may choose the song from the three offered in Part One, or from the three songs presented below. They can work with any computer program they wish – you might want to gather wisdom from the class, suggesting programs to work with.
The next meeting, they must present their music videos to the class.
PART THREE – THE SCREENING
If more than one student has made a video of the same song, we recommend screening all videos of the same song in one batch, so that the students can experience how the same song can be interpreted in multiple ways. [This multi-vocality, you may point out, is a crucial tool for meeting Israel in its full complexity.]
After each video, or set of videos, lead a short discussion on the songs and on their interpretations.
4. Da (Alma Zohar)דע – עלמה זוהר –
| Look at you
Lying, hiding Not trusting anyone Prefer to be alone No outgoing, no incoming Not giving, and not seeking love With you everything is mask upon mask With a lie in your soul Hurt people Don’t know how to ask for forgiveness How do you live? Cold and alienated Closed and introverted Look in a mirror and see a stranger Know who you are Know where you came from And where you are going And before Whom you will give your accounting Look at you using and throwing away Chewing up and spitting out You have everything And it’s not enough You are empty How can you distance all who are close? How do you suppress all that’s not good? Don’t let anyone love you Know who you are Know where you came from And where you are going And before Whom you will give your accounting Know that all is quid pro quo All that you do in this world Will always return to you Until you change direction Until you seek repair You will have no rest It haunts you |
תראה אותך
משקר, מסתתר לא בוטח באף אחד מעדיף להיות לבד אין יוצא ואין בא לא נותן ולא מבקש אהבה הכל אצלך מסכה ועוד מסכה עושה שקר בנפשך פוגע לא יודע לבקש סליחה איך אתה חי קר ומנוכר סגור ומסוגר מסתכל במראה רואה שם מישהו זר דע מי אתה דע מאין באת ולאן אתה הולך ובפני מי אתה עתיד לתת דין דין וחשבון תראה אותך משתמש וזורק לועס ויורק יש לך הכל וזה לא מספק אתה ריק איך אתה מרחיק כל מי שקרוב איך אתה מדחיק כל מה שלא טוב לא נותן לאהוב אותך דע מי אתה דע מאין באת ולאן אתה הולך ובפני מי אתה עתיד לתת דין דין וחשבון דע הכל מידה כנגד מידה כל דבר שאתה עושה בעולם הזה לעולם חוזר חזרה עד שלא תשנה כיוון עד שלא תבקש תיקון לא תהיה לך מנוחה זה רודף אותך |
* The words of this song are taken from Pirkei Avot- Ethics of the Fathers.
5. Shma – Sarit Hadad שמע ישראל – שרית חדד –
| When the heart cries
only God hears The pain rises out of the soul A man falls down before he sinks With a short prayer he breaks the silence Shma (Hear) Israel my God, you’ are the omnipotent You gave me my life, you gave me everything In my eyes are tears, the heart cries silently And when the heart is quiet, the soul screams Shma (Hear) Israel my God, now I am alone Make me strong my God; make it that I won’t be afraid The pain is big, and there’s no where to run away Make it end Because I have no strength left When the heart cries, Time stands still All of a sudden, the man sees his entire life He doesn’t want to go to the unknown He cries to his God right before a big fall Shma (Hear) Israel my God…. |
כשהלב בוכה
רק אלוהים שומע שמע ישראל אלוהי אתה הכל יכול נתת לי הכל בעיני דמעה הלב בוכה בשקט וכשהלב שותק הנשמה זועקת שמע ישראל אלוהי עכשיו אני לבד עשה שלא אפחד הכאב גדול ואין לאן לברוח כי לא נותר בי כח. כשהלב בוכה הזמן עומד מלכת שמע ישראל אלוהי… |
Some points:
- This song is most commonly played on national days of mourning in Israel
5. Lo Nafsik Lachlom (We Won’t Stop Dreaming) – Mook E
| For every reason to stay
I have ten reasons to leave Far from my eyes and my heart We only remember the good And yet I choose each day To stay close And I won’t stop dreaming I won’t stop loving What have we done to ourselves that it hurts this bad? And how is it so dark here if we’re all stars How can we still not see that the skies are clear Hiding from the very things we chase Staying constantly at arm’s length So very empty of content, only our bellies are full Maybe we need to destroy it all and start over And this whole song is a prayer That we don’t stop dreaming… And how strange it is When we’re strangers to ourselves We reach out to touch what is impossible Today we want to taste From what will only come tomorrow Is this freedom Or is man buried within himself? They won’t turn me into a viewing statistic Or to a purchasing power Of a potential sale Rumors of war will not extinguish me Obstacles will not stop me Fences will not trip me You much leave – in order to return To distance yourself – in order to long for something Reality is screaming in my ear I can no longer hear I hold my head up high If I don’t I’ll drown And despite everything I know We won’t stop dreaming… |
על כל סיבה להשאר – יש לי עשר לעזוב רחוק מעין ומלב, זוכרים רק את הטוב. אבל אני בוחר מחדש כל יום להשאר קרוב ואני לא אפסיק לחלום. לא אפסיק לאהוב. מה עשינו לנו שאנחנו ככה כואבים? שלא נפסיק לחלום… וכמה זה מוזר, לא יהפכו אותי לאחוזי צפייה לא נפסיק לחלום… |
Chag Haatzmaut 