Children of Abraham

Efrat settlement

Written during the first intifada, late ’80s

Children of Abraham
both of us
children of Abraham
who walked this holy land
with staff in hand
and faith

Children of Abraham
who offered his son
to God on the holy mount
who we call Isaac
and you call Ishmael
who said to his cousin Lot,

“Let us part ways
in peace.”

Children of Abraham
we never left this land

There were eras
when only a handful survived
while nations came and went

Romans and Greeks and Turks

Byzantian and British

While the children of Abraham
tended fields
wrote in the cities of Safad
and Jerusalem
books of wonder and of wisdom

Children of Abraham
who fought and succumbed
who fought and won
each of us claiming:

“Chosen”
We have danced a dance of death
too long
too long

Children of Abraham
a new age
and we returned home
to the Jerusalem that had never left
our hearts, our prayers, our dreams

We came from the death throes of pogroms
from Europe’s hell
from the lands of your brothers
who had expelled us, penniless and broken

We returned home to till our ancient land
To water our fragile grains with our ancient tears

And you came with terror
and hate

We answered you
with schools
with doctors
with hope

We beckoned to you
in peace

We screamed from the bottom of our souls:
“Peace!”
You answered our pleas
with Munich
and Maalot

You answered our prayers
with pain in the night
no more
no more
can we turn away
no more
no more

Our blood checkered with yours across the fields

Our children, schoolbags full of hope
passing your little shepherd boy on the road we share
your flock mingling with ours
so young, so young
A destiny so old, and so young

Together
we could offer the world a vision
together
we could offer the world a dream

O Children of Abraham

How you will miss
the Children of Abraham
if one day
they are gone.

Toby Klein Greenwald is an award-winning playwright and director of biblical musicals for Raise Your Spirits Theatre. During the first intifada, Greenwald served as a liaison between various American news organizations and journalists, as well as the settler community.