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My Research on the Bible and Biblical Hebrew

Hebrew Songs I Love

This post displays a collection of Hebrew songs that most touch me. The collection is divided into six groups:

[A] Mourning Holocaust; [B] Mourning the Fallen of Israel (confined mainly to the most devastating โ€” War-of-Independence, 1948-1949; Yom-Kippur War, 1973); [C] Songs of Faith and Prayer; [D] Solemn; [E] Songs of Eretz-Israel; [F] Just Cheerful and Beautiful;

And a Tip, no words needed…

For some, for lack of preference for one performance over another, I display several for same song.

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[A] Mourning Holocaust:

  • ื”ืกื“ืจ ื”ืื—ืจื•ืŸ ื‘ื’ื˜ื• ื•ืจืฉื”

(“The Last Passover Seder of Warsaw Ghetto”)

  • “Going to Caesarea” (“Eli, Eli”; “My God, My God”) (Written by an Israeli paratrooper, Hana Senesh, on a mission to rescue Jews in Europe in World War II, caught and executed by the Nazis, with others). Singer โ€” Nechama Hendel:

[B] Mourning the Fallen of Israel (mainly, War-of-Independence, 1948-1949; Yom-Kippur War, 1973):

  • “Reut” (Comradeship). Singer โ€” Esther Ofarim (1948 War).
  • “Ve-Netane Tokef” (From Rosh Hashanna & Yom Kippur Prayers; Making a chilling link between the judgement of all living, executed on Yom Kippur according to Jewish tradition, and those who lost their lives in defense of Israel in the Yom-Kippur War). Performed by The Gevatron – Israeli Kibbutz Folk Singers. Soloist โ€” Hanoch Albalek (two versions).
  • “Lu Yehi” (“Let there be”). Singer โ€” Chava Alberstein. Yom Kippur War (Written by Neomi Shemer, 1973; Has become national symbol for the agony of the Yom Kippur War, 1973)
  • “Al Daat Ha-Makom” (combining verses from Job and Genesis and Jewish prayer; the story of two Israeli soldiers, carrying same name, killed on the same day, and the tragic chain of errors that followed, breaking the news to the families). Singer โ€” Miri Aloni (Lebanon War):

[C] Songs of Faith and Prayer:

  • “Ana Be-Choach”. Singers โ€” Hallel Group, with Meirav Brener:
  • “Ana Be-Choach”. Singer โ€” Dikla Chachmon Orbach:

[D] Solemn:

  • “Jerusalem of Gold” (written by Neomi Shemer, A short while prior to the breakout of the 1967 war). Singer โ€” Shuli Natan:
  • “Jerusalem of Gold”. Singer โ€” Ofra Haza:

[E] Songs of Eretz-Israel:

  • Ruthi (“Li Kol Gal..”). Singer โ€”  Arik Einstein:
  • “I have a Kineret” (“Sea of Galilee”). Singer โ€” Aril Lavi:
  • “On the seashore of Kineret”. Singer โ€” Arik Einstein:
  • “The Song of the Valley” (On Emek Israel, the Valley of Israel). Singer โ€” Arik Einstein: https://youtu.be/Tbs8VFNdFpU
  • “There were Nights” (on the Jordan Valley; a love story). Singer โ€” Esther Ofarim:
  • “Kalaniot” (plural of the name of an Israeli plant, Kalanit; Used also to be a nickname for British soldiers, during British mandate over Palestine prior to the re-birth of Israel, because of the color of their hats). Singer โ€” Shoshana Damari:

[F] Just Cheerful and Beautiful:

  • “Hava Nagila” (“Let us be gleeful”). Performers โ€” Andrรฉ Rieu and his group:
  • “Shnaim” (“Two”). Singers โ€”Rita and Shlomo Artzi:

Tip: The Lonely Shepherd โ€” Andrรฉ Rieu & Gheorghe Zamfir:

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