Many of our students, both here and abroad, are feeling confused and worried.
People want to know what's going on –
Are we leaving?
Are businesses open?
Are the roads as usual?
Are we safe?
Are we still celebrating Hanukkah?
For those who have asked, this is Israel now: trauma, shock, great sadness, daily anxiety, market instability, but also a time for standing together, unity, and solidarity.
What's happening in Israel right now is indescribable, and difficult to understand or explain. We are mostly waiting for tomorrow and the future to come.
Tomorrow = מחר
The next day = למחרת
In 1957, Leah Goldberg, an Israeli poet (my favorite), wrote a beautiful poem called "The Next Day."
This poem is open to many interpretations and can be understood by those who enjoy reading poetry in simple, down-to-earth words.
The poem talks about the pain of seeing darkness but also emphasizes the existence of light. The darkness is terrible and impossible to describe, while the green represents the beauty of growing flowers, smiling children, and the smell of homemade cakes.
The beauty of the green is directly proportional to the pain it causes.
There is no white in the poem, no neutrality, no routine, and no horizon.
The hardest part is waiting for the next day to arrive as there is a lot of past and very little future. The present does not exist.
According to the poem, waiting for the next day is a difficult task as it is hard to breathe, think, and love while waiting.
This song can be interpreted in many ways, both objectively and subjectively.
However, one thing is certain: the song ends with a message of hope and faith, urging us to focus on the green. This is especially important now when we need it the most.
Hanukkah is a festival of light that is meant to dispel darkness.
Despite all the darkness that surrounds you, I hope you can focus on the light and find hope.
Sending love and light
Gili
ירוק = Green
אפור = Grey
שחור = black
לובן = Whiteness
עבר = Past
הווה = Present
עתיד = Future
לנשום = To breath
לחשוב = To think
לחכות = To wait
למחרת
מילים: לאה גולדברג :written by
הירוק היום ירוק מאוד
והאפור היום אפור מאוד
וקצת שחור ואין לובן בעיר
והנסער היום נסער מאוד
והעבר היום - עבר מאוד
קצת עתיד, ואין הווה באוויר.
ועוד לא קל לנשום, ועוד לא קל
לחשוב מול הרוח
ומאוד לא פשוט לחכות
הסערה נוגעת בריסים,
ומשתבר כל רגע לרסיסים
אך הירוק היום ירוק מאוד.