Jerusalem of Gold (song)
Encyclopedia
"Jerusalem of Gold" is a popular Israel
i song
written by Naomi Shemer
in 1967. The original song described the Jewish people's 2000-year longing to return to Jerusalem; Shemer added a final verse after the Six-Day War
to celebrate Jerusalem's re-unification, after 19 years of Jordanian occupation.
Naomi Shemer wrote the original song for the Israeli Music Festival, held on 15 May 1967, the night after Israel's nineteenth Independence Day
. She chose the then-unknown Shuli Nathan to sing the song. At that time, the Old City was still occupied by Jordan and under Jordan
ian rule; Jews had been exiled from the Old City and all of Jerusalem east of the Old City, losing their homes and possessions, and becoming refugees. All Jews were barred from either returning or entering the areas under Jordanian occupation, and many holy sites were desecrated and damaged during the 19-year occupation by Jordan. Only three weeks after the song was published, the Six-Day War broke out. The song was the battle cry and morale booster of the Israeli troops. Shemer even sang it for them before the war and festival, making them among the first in the world to hear it. On 7 June, the Israel Defense Forces
liberated the eastern part of Jerusalem and the Old City from the Jordanians. When Shemer heard the paratroopers singing "Jerusalem of Gold" at the Western Wall
, she wrote the final verse, reversing the phrases of lamentation found in the second verse. The line about shofar
s sounding from the Temple Mount
is a reference to an event that actually took place on 7 June.
The song has been translated loosely into many languages. It was also chosen as the "Song of the Year" in Israel in 1967.
The song is the corps song of the Blue Stars Drum and Bugle Corps
. The corps sings it before every competition.
The official website for the song is: http://www.jerusalemofgold.co.il/
ic legend about Rabbi Akiva; "To all your songs, I am a lyre" is a quote from a poem by Rabbi Yehuda Halevi
. "The city that sits alone" is a reference to the first verse of the biblical Book of Lamentations
. "If I forget thee Jerusalem" is a quote from Psalm 137, verse 5.
Some of the song's melody is based on a Basque
lullaby, Pello Joxepe
(Foolish Joseph), composed by Juan Francisco Petriarena 'Xenpelar' (1835-1869), which Shemer had heard in a performance by singer/songwriter Paco Ibañez
, who visited Israel in 1962 and sang this song to a group that included Naomi Shemer and Nehama Hendel. Shemer acknowledged hearing Hendel perform Pello Joxepe in the mid-1960s. Shemer said she had unconsciously based some of her melody on the lullaby, and had felt very bad about it when she found out that she had done so. Paco Ibañez
was then asked how he felt when he heard Naomi Shemer had based some of the melody on Pello Joxepe. He replied by saying that he was "glad it helped in some way" and that he did not perceive it as plagiarism and was not angry.
Israel
The State of Israel is a parliamentary republic located in the Middle East, along the eastern shore of the Mediterranean Sea...
i song
Song
In music, a song is a composition for voice or voices, performed by singing.A song may be accompanied by musical instruments, or it may be unaccompanied, as in the case of a cappella songs...
written by Naomi Shemer
Naomi Shemer
Naomi Shemer was a leading Israeli songwriter hailed as the "first lady of Israeli song and poetry."-Biography:Naomi Sapir was born on Kvutzat Kinneret, a kibbutz her parents had helped found, on the shores of the Sea of Galilee. In the 1950s she served in the Israeli Defense Force's Nahal...
in 1967. The original song described the Jewish people's 2000-year longing to return to Jerusalem; Shemer added a final verse after the Six-Day War
Six-Day War
The Six-Day War , also known as the June War, 1967 Arab-Israeli War, or Third Arab-Israeli War, was fought between June 5 and 10, 1967, by Israel and the neighboring states of Egypt , Jordan, and Syria...
to celebrate Jerusalem's re-unification, after 19 years of Jordanian occupation.
Naomi Shemer wrote the original song for the Israeli Music Festival, held on 15 May 1967, the night after Israel's nineteenth Independence Day
Yom Ha'atzmaut
Yom Ha'atzmaut commemorates Israel's declaration of Independence in 1948. It is celebrated on 5 Iyar according to the Hebrew calendar. Yom Ha'atzmaut is preceded by Yom Hazikaron, the Israeli Fallen Soldiers and Victims of Terrorism Remembrance Day.-History:...
. She chose the then-unknown Shuli Nathan to sing the song. At that time, the Old City was still occupied by Jordan and under Jordan
Jordan
Jordan , officially the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan , Al-Mamlaka al-Urduniyya al-Hashemiyya) is a kingdom on the East Bank of the River Jordan. The country borders Saudi Arabia to the east and south-east, Iraq to the north-east, Syria to the north and the West Bank and Israel to the west, sharing...
ian rule; Jews had been exiled from the Old City and all of Jerusalem east of the Old City, losing their homes and possessions, and becoming refugees. All Jews were barred from either returning or entering the areas under Jordanian occupation, and many holy sites were desecrated and damaged during the 19-year occupation by Jordan. Only three weeks after the song was published, the Six-Day War broke out. The song was the battle cry and morale booster of the Israeli troops. Shemer even sang it for them before the war and festival, making them among the first in the world to hear it. On 7 June, the Israel Defense Forces
Israel Defense Forces
The Israel Defense Forces , commonly known in Israel by the Hebrew acronym Tzahal , are the military forces of the State of Israel. They consist of the ground forces, air force and navy. It is the sole military wing of the Israeli security forces, and has no civilian jurisdiction within Israel...
liberated the eastern part of Jerusalem and the Old City from the Jordanians. When Shemer heard the paratroopers singing "Jerusalem of Gold" at the Western Wall
Western Wall
The Western Wall, Wailing Wall or Kotel is located in the Old City of Jerusalem at the foot of the western side of the Temple Mount...
, she wrote the final verse, reversing the phrases of lamentation found in the second verse. The line about shofar
Shofar
A shofar is a horn, traditionally that of a ram, used for Jewish religious purposes. Shofar-blowing is incorporated in synagogue services on Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur.Shofar come in a variety of sizes.- Bible and rabbinic literature :...
s sounding from the Temple Mount
Temple Mount
The Temple Mount, known in Hebrew as , and in Arabic as the Haram Ash-Sharif , is one of the most important religious sites in the Old City of Jerusalem. It has been used as a religious site for thousands of years...
is a reference to an event that actually took place on 7 June.
The song has been translated loosely into many languages. It was also chosen as the "Song of the Year" in Israel in 1967.
The song is the corps song of the Blue Stars Drum and Bugle Corps
Blue Stars Drum and Bugle Corps
The Blue Stars Drum and Bugle Corps is a World Class drum and bugle corps based in La Crosse, Wisconsin and founded in 1964...
. The corps sings it before every competition.
The official website for the song is: http://www.jerusalemofgold.co.il/
Other versions
Many artists recorded their own versions for the song.- Klaus MeineKlaus MeineKlaus Meine is a German singer, best known as the lead vocalist and occasional rhythm guitarist of the heavy metal band Scorpions...
, vocalist of the popular rock band ScorpionsScorpions (band)Scorpions are a heavy metal/hard rock band from Hannover, Germany, formed in 1965 by guitarist Rudolf Schenker, who is the band's only constant member. They are known for their 1980s rock anthem "Rock You Like a Hurricane" and many singles, such as "No One Like You", "Send Me an Angel", "Still...
, recorded a cover of the song together with Israeli Liel KoletLiel KoletLiel Kolet is an Israeli singer, of Indian Jewish descent.-Biography:Liel Kolet was born on 11 July 1989 to Indian Jewish parents in the Kibbutz Kvutzat Kinneret where she also spent the rest of her childhood....
. - The Greek singer Demis RoussosDemis RoussosArtemios Ventouris Roussos is a Greek singer and performer, best known for being the main musical partner of movie soundtrack composer Vangelis and a string of international hit records as a solo performer in the 1960s and 1970s...
recorded a version of the song as well. - It also features prominently at the end of the film Schindler's ListSchindler's ListSchindler's List is a 1993 American film about Oskar Schindler, a German businessman who saved the lives of more than a thousand mostly Polish-Jewish refugees during the Holocaust by employing them in his factories. The film was directed by Steven Spielberg, and based on the novel Schindler's Ark...
(with the exception of the Israeli release), when the remaining Jews leave the camp and walk over the hill in the direction of a nearby town. Initial Israeli audiences were amused by the use of this song, due to it being written over 22 years after the HolocaustThe HolocaustThe Holocaust , also known as the Shoah , was the genocide of approximately six million European Jews and millions of others during World War II, a programme of systematic state-sponsored murder by Nazi...
and being totally unrelated to the subject of the film. Following this, it was replaced with Hannah SzenesHannah SzenesHannah Szenes , often anglicized as Hannah Senesh was a Hungarian Jew, one of 37 Jews from the British Mandate for Palestine that were trained by the British army to parachute into Yugoslavia during the Second World War in order to help save the Jews of Hungary, who were about to be deported to...
's song "Eli Eli" for Israeli showings. - The late Israeli singer Ofra HazaOfra HazaOfra Haza was an Israeli singer of Yemeni origin, an actress and international recording artist....
sang a poignant version of the song at Pa'amonei Hayovel (Bells of the Jubilee), Israel's 50th anniversary celebration in 1998. - The jam band PhishPhishPhish is an American rock band noted for its musical improvisation, extended jams, and exploration of music across genres. Formed at the University of Vermont in 1983 , the band's four members – Trey Anastasio , Mike Gordon , Jon Fishman , and Page McConnell Phish is an American rock band...
also performs the song on tour and recorded a rendition of the song on the 1994 album "HoistHoist (album)Hoist is the fifth official studio album by the American rock band Phish, released on March 29, 1994, by Elektra Records. At the time of its release, Hoist was Phish's best selling album to date....
". - Eric Dinowitz arranged an a cappella version.
Origin
Many of the lyrics refer to traditional Jewish poetry and themes. "Jerusalem of Gold" is a reference to a special piece of jewelry mentioned in a famous TalmudTalmud
The Talmud is a central text of mainstream Judaism. It takes the form of a record of rabbinic discussions pertaining to Jewish law, ethics, philosophy, customs and history....
ic legend about Rabbi Akiva; "To all your songs, I am a lyre" is a quote from a poem by Rabbi Yehuda Halevi
Yehuda Halevi
Judah Halevi was a Spanish Jewish physician, poet and philosopher. He was born in Spain, either in Toledo or Tudela, in 1075 or 1086, and died shortly after arriving in Palestine in 1141...
. "The city that sits alone" is a reference to the first verse of the biblical Book of Lamentations
Book of Lamentations
The Book of Lamentations ) is a poetic book of the Hebrew Bible composed by the Jewish prophet Jeremiah. It mourns the destruction of Jerusalem and the Holy Temple in the 6th Century BCE....
. "If I forget thee Jerusalem" is a quote from Psalm 137, verse 5.
Some of the song's melody is based on a Basque
Basque people
The Basques as an ethnic group, primarily inhabit an area traditionally known as the Basque Country , a region that is located around the western end of the Pyrenees on the coast of the Bay of Biscay and straddles parts of north-central Spain and south-western France.The Basques are known in the...
lullaby, Pello Joxepe
Pello Joxepe
"Peio Joxepe" is a traditional Basque song. It is very popular in Basqueland, as its music is used by bertsolariak to improvise their compositions. Therefore, it may be sung with different lyrics....
(Foolish Joseph), composed by Juan Francisco Petriarena 'Xenpelar' (1835-1869), which Shemer had heard in a performance by singer/songwriter Paco Ibañez
Paco Ibáñez
Francisco "Paco" Ibáñez is a Spanish singer and musician born in Valencia on November 20, 1934, before the Spanish Civil War.He went to France in 1952 during the Franco dictatorship in Spain and recorded his first album in 1964....
, who visited Israel in 1962 and sang this song to a group that included Naomi Shemer and Nehama Hendel. Shemer acknowledged hearing Hendel perform Pello Joxepe in the mid-1960s. Shemer said she had unconsciously based some of her melody on the lullaby, and had felt very bad about it when she found out that she had done so. Paco Ibañez
Paco Ibáñez
Francisco "Paco" Ibáñez is a Spanish singer and musician born in Valencia on November 20, 1934, before the Spanish Civil War.He went to France in 1952 during the Franco dictatorship in Spain and recorded his first album in 1964....
was then asked how he felt when he heard Naomi Shemer had based some of the melody on Pello Joxepe. He replied by saying that he was "glad it helped in some way" and that he did not perceive it as plagiarism and was not angry.
External links
- Jerusalem of Gold
- English lyrics International Wall of Prayer