One For All

A Poem by Rabbi Lior Angelman

I am both strengthened, and haunted, by something Sapir Cohen- who was held captive by Hamas for 55 days - shared upon her return. Sapir, who has been an incredible voice of hope since her return, related how one day in captivity, one of the terrorists who was “guarding” her called her to see something on television. What she saw was a massive rally in Tel Aviv calling for the return of the hostages. She said was extremely moved to see how people were fighting for her, but then the terrorist said to her “When the Jews are together, they are very strong. But slowly, slowly, it’s a balagan balagan.” (Meaning, slowly, if we just wait patiently, the Jews will become a mess again.) And then Sapir said, “They know that the greatest weapon there is against us, is us.”

So in the days before Tisha b’Av, I continue with the calls I find - which are many- for unity among our people.

Here is a poem in translation, by writer and teacher Rabbi Lior Angelman, whose poetry always strikes deep.

Photo by Eelco Böhtlingk on Unsplash

One For All

Before that black day
We sat in our train cars, each one on our way
A car for Chasidim, a car for misnagdim
A car for secularists, a car for Zionists

Since the tragedy
There’s only one car in the back                 
For the believer and the heretic
The white guy and the black                       

At the train station to Auschwitz
We Jews still argued and fought
Who’s telling the truth      
And whose lies have just been caught  

Words of smoke in the chaos rise     
From the furnace one can hear our cries

Before the tragedy
We stood each in our own square
A square for the reformers, a square for the hecklers
A square for the Tel Avivim and a square for the settlers

But since the tragedy began
One tunnel for all
For the liberal and the conservative
For the traditionalist and the alternative

Deep in the tunnels so damp and so dark
The arguments in a moment can ignite by a spark
Who’s enlightened and who is dumb
Who’s got it together and who’s come undone

For our people’s destruction, who shall we accuse?
The ones who are corrupt or the ones who refuse?

From Gaza to Berlin
Two Satans enjoy the havoc they’ve spun
For Yahya and Adolf
We are all brothers, all one

The original poem can be seen at the bottom of this article in Arutz 7.