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Ruvi Rivlin gets everyone singing

[additional-authors]
April 13, 2018

This Facebook video is beyond charming. Ruvi Rivlin, the President of the State of Israel, decides to get the people of Israel singing in anticipation of the 70th anniversary of the founding of the State of Israel. His big heart and joyfulness abound.

https://www.facebook.com/koolulam/videos/2118226415098757/

He explains that music brings everyone together.

“Words words words – blah blah blah – too many words.”

Ruvi and all that he picks up along the way in his offices sing together the famous song “Al Kol Eleh” (“Over all these things…”) made famous by Israeli poet/songwriter Naomi Shemer.

In the middle of Beit Hanasi (the President’s House in Jerusalem) he stops and says: “Wait – this isn’t enough!” The entire people of Israel have to join and sing too, so he invites everyone to sing – the secular and religious, Arabs and Jews, young and old, men and women and children. He asks they everyone put all else aside and come together as one.

“Over the honey and the stinger
Over the bitter and the sweet
Over our daughter, our baby
My God, watch over what is good

Over the flame that is burning
Over the water running pure
Over the man returning home
from far away

Chorus:
Over all these, Over all these
God please watch over them for me,
Over the honey and the stinger
Over the bitter and the sweet

Do not uproot what is planted
Do not forget the hope
Return me, and I will return
to the good land.

Watch over this house for me, my God,
the garden, and the wall
protect them from pain, from sudden fear
and from war.

Watch over for me the little I have
the light, the baby.”
over the fruit that has not ripened
and over what has already been reaped.

 

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