In 1882, during the period known as the First Aliyah, Imber moved to Ottoman Palestine, working as a secretary for Sir Laurence Oliphant, a Christian Zionist author and diplomat. A child prodigy, his poetry earned Imber an award from Emperor Franz Joseph at the young age of 10. He was born in 1856 in the Galician town of Zloczow (then part of the Austro-Hungarian Empire, today part of Ukraine). The lyrics for Hatikvah were written by poet Naftali Herz Imber. The significance of Hatikvah or its related controversies cannot be appreciated without first seeing the lyrics and understanding the story behind the anthem. Ireland has two national anthems because one was considered too militaristic. Attempts to add lyrics to Spain’s anthem proved too divisive. Australia’s anthem is often criticized for not being inclusive of its Aboriginal population. In the US, football player Colin Kaepernick stoked controversy by kneeling during the Star Spangled Banner. Simply put, it unites citizens and reminds people of the nation’s shared values and aspirations.Īnthems rarely rise completely above dissension, though. Since Israel’s founding, Palestinians have branded it as a racist song while Arab countries hosting athletic events refused to play the anthem for Israeli medalists.Ī national anthem is a patriotic song or wordless musical composition reflecting a nation’s history, traditions and struggles. All failed because Hatikvah enjoyed an unusually broad grassroots support. Zionists of religious and secular socialist stripes advanced their own songs as well. Theodor Herzl despised the song and tried to replace it. Meaning “the hope,” the anthem echoes 2,000 years of Jewish prayers for an end to exile and the return of the Jewish people to Zion. Few words are as well-known to Jews around the world as the lyrics of Hatikvah, Israel’s national anthem.
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
AuthorWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. ArchivesCategories |