The title of the Israeli national anthem is HATIKVA , which means “The
Hope.” The words to Israel's national anthem were written in 1886 by Naphtali Herz Imber (1856-1909), an English
poet originally from Bohemia. The melody was written by Samuel Cohen, an immigrant from Moldavia. Cohen actually
based the melody on a musical theme found in Bedrich Smetana's "Moldau." Hatikva is about “hope,” the
undying hope of the Jewish people, through the long years of exile, that they would someday return to independence
in their homeland.
In 70 C.E. Titus led his Roman soldiers in their destruction of Jerusalem. Most of the Jews
were carried away as captives and scattered across the lands of the world.
During the two thousand years of exile, the Jewish people always kept a heartfelt prayer in
their hearts for return to Israel. They said special daily prayers for return and they celebrated the holidays
according to Israeli seasons and calendar. During prayers Jews are always facing toward Israel and with in
Israel always facing Jerusalem.
This is the message of the Hatikvah's first stanza. Zion is another name for Israel and Jerusalem.
When the Jewish people pray their eyes, hearts and prayers are directed toward Israel and Jerusalem. For many
long painful years, the land of Israel was in the hands of foreigners. The Jews who lived in Palestine were
not free. Yet their hope for freedom and independence never died. The second stanza of the Hatikva recalls
the undying hope of Jews through the generation, Jews who lived in other countries and Jews who had remained
in Palestine.
When we sing the Hatikva together, we are doing much more than just singing a nice melody.
We are making a promise that we will never forget the undying Jewish hope. |
