They say Jerusalem is the most beautiful city in the world. And they are right. And perhaps the beauty of Jerusalem arouses the inspiration of musicians, so the songs about Jerusalem are beautiful as well. This week on Monday is Yom Yerushalayim (Jerusalem Day), so we are going to review some of the many songs about Jerusalem, as well as a song that relates to the paratroopers.
The tzanchanim (paratroopers) were among the divisions who fought in Jerusalem during the Six-Day War, in which our dear and brave soldiers made a huge kiddush Hashem and recaptured Jerusalem as well as Hevron, Gaza, Judea and Samaria, Sinai, and the Golan Heights. Yom Yerushalayim, also known as Jerusalem Day, commemorates Jerusalem’s reunification in 1967. The day is celebrated on the 28 of Iyar on the Hebrew calendar.
For most Israelis, as well as Jews around the world, the Kotel is perhaps one of the most important and holy places, if not the most important and holy. However, while that might be somewhat true, we should aspire to return to a more important and holy place – Har HaBayit (the Temple Mount), which is still occupied by the enemy – and we should aspire to build the Beit HaMikdash. We must always remember that the Kotel is only a supporting wall to the Har HaBayit, and that is the place we really need to seek to restore. So I want to start with songs about the Beit HaMikdash.
I’ll start with Avraham Fried’s song “Bring the House Down,” from the album of the same name, which he released in 2016. “Sheyibaneh Beit HaMikdash bimhera be’yameinu, Bring the house down, It’s time, It’s time.”
The next song is also by Avraham Fried: “Kach Es Sheli,” from the Keep Climbing album, which was released in 2012. “Ribono Shel Olam, ani yodea she’Beit HaMikdash Hashlishi eino banui me’avanim, Hu banui mi’d’maot,” Ribono Shel Olam, I know that the Third Temple is not built of bricks, it is built from tears. “Ve’im kol ma she’Ata tzarich rak od dima’a achat, bevakasha kach et sheli,” And if all you need is only one more tear, please take mine. The song has a good rhythm and is very upbeat. No wonder it has also become popular in weddings.
Another favorite song of Avraham Fried’s about Har Habayit is “Moriah.” “Lama, lama, ma nikra Moriah, al shem hamor hatov she’yeshno sham,” Why is it called “Moriah?” Because of the good myrrh that is found there.
And of course, one of my most favorite songs, from one of my favorite albums, is “Na’ale” by Yehuda Glantz, which is the first song in his album of the same name which was released in 1994. “Na’ale le’Beit HaMmikdash,” We will go up to the Beit HaMikdash. The song is very upbeat, with a South American rhythm, so the first thing you want to do when you listen to it is start dancing.
As a teenager, we used to go on Yom Yerushalayim to the Rikud Degalim (March of Flags). The whole city filled with boys and girls dressed in blue and white holding flags of Israel in their hands, storming the streets with dancing, joy, and happiness, celebrating Yerushalayim. Kids from schools and yeshivot all over the country come in buses to Jerusalem to celebrate the liberation of the city. During the day, they march in the streets with music and singing, toward the ancient city, and then to the Kotel. There’s a holiday feeling in the air. The view of so many kids and teenagers dressed in blue and white with the flags in their hands is uplifting and exciting. While walking in the streets you see so many people, all celebrating, dancing and singing. You meet old friends that you haven’t seen for a long time. You get the opportunity to meet the people of Jerusalem who go out of their homes to greet and welcome people from all over the country – offering food, cold drinks, and also just a smile. It all feels like one big family.
In the evening, everyone comes to the Kotel. The view of the Kotel filled with all the people that come to celebrate and pray is just breathtaking. I wonder what it is going to look like when Moshiach comes soon. The Temple will be built, and all the Jews from all over the world will come to Jerusalem to celebrate, daven, and restore the avodat hakorbanot.
One of the classical Jerusalem songs is “Yerushalayim” by Mordechai Ben David from the Tamid B’simcha (“Always Happy”) album, which was released in 1994. A song I used to listen to when I was in high school is “Yerushalayim, at yerushateinu, lo naazvech le’olam, at beit chayeinu,” we will never leave you, Jerusalem. “Eretz Avoteinu ve’shelanu hi la’ad,” This is our ancestors’ land, and it belongs to us forever. The song starts with the drums intro, then the saxophone and brasses join, with electric guitar in the background which gets you into the rhythm – and then MBD begins to sing. This song doesn’t really need to be translated, because the last song in the Tamid B’simcha album is actually the English version of the same song. (Maybe you can help and translate it for me into Hebrew!)
The next natural choice after “Yerushalayim” by Mordechai Ben David is of course what might be the sibling song by Avraham Fried – “Yerusalayim” from the Bracha V’Hatzlacha album. “Yerushalayim oro shel olam,” Jerusalem is the light of the world.
The Zionist movement is about the return to Jerusalem, and Zion is one of the names of Jerusalem. To be a Zionist means to desire and aspire to return to Jerusalem. For generations, Jews dreamed of returning to Jerusalem. Three times a day in the tefillah, as well as in Birkat HaMazon, a Jew prays to return to Yerushalayim. At every Jewish wedding all over the world, under the chuppah we remember Jerusalem. My father-in-law told me that whenever his grandfather in Williamsburg would get to “Vetechezeina eneinu b’shuvcha le’Tzion” in Shemoneh Esrei, he had tears.
“Shomer HaChomot” (The Guard Of The Walls) was written by Dan Almagor and composed by Beni Nagri. The song was performed by Lehakat Pikud Hamerkaz. The first verse of the song tells the story of a soldier who stands on the walls of Jerusalem. Rain is falling as he looks at the ancient city and falls in love with it. “I’m standing on the wall, standing alone in the rain, and the whole ancient city is in front of me.” He sometimes likes to walk on the walls and look at the ancient city, but now he is on duty. Now he’s an IDF soldier, and now he protects Jerusalem.
Yes, yes, goes the chorus, the boy who was dreaming back in the classroom in school, when he learned to recite “Al chomotaich Yerushalayim hifkadeti shomrim” (from the pasuk in The Book of Isaiah) that one day he’ll be one of the guards of Jerusalem… A few years ago, Lior Farhi, z”l, came out with a new performance of the song. I encourage you to search for it on YouTube and listen to it. Farchi died of cardiac arrest at age 53 in February 2024.
Another favorite song about Jerusalem is “Shabechi Yerushalayim” which was composed by Avihu Medina. Medina composed the song to words from tefillah, and during the years it became very popular. I like the performances of Daklon and Medina. You can find and listen to it on YouTube.
In the Six-Day War, the tzanchanim were the first to break into the ancient city and recapture the Old City and the Kotel from the Jordanians. During basic training in the IDF and in official ceremonies, the song that was always playing was “Kol Hazman Tzanchan” by Rami Kleinstein. It’s a beautiful song about the paratroopers. “Kol hazman tzanchan, kol hazman muchan,” always a paratrooper, always ready. “Kulan bishvil echad, v’echad bishvil kulam,” All for one, and one for all.
Yom Yerushalayim sameach!
