By MATTHEW WAGNERkatif girls 298.88(photo credit: Courtesy)
A song composed by religious kibbutz teenagers that mourns the demise of Zionism's central ideals and calls for a major ideological overhaul has won a Bnei Akiva youth movement contest.
Disillusionment with political leadership, breakdown of trust in the IDF, criticism of empty Israeli culture and a feeling that Zionism and the Jewish people have lost their way and their purpose as a light unto the nations are just some of the dark themes that appear in the song written by the religious youth.
But the song also calls for a renewal of old idealism. Building new settlements, championing the poor and fighting injustice are some of the suggestions for sparking a grassroots revolution.
"People told me afterwards that the lyrics gave them a cold shiver," said Mor Shahak, 13, of Kibbutz Sde Eliahu, who wrote the lyrics. "I think a lot of people, both young and old, can identify with the song." Her sister Sapir, 14, composed the music.
Mor said her disappointment with the current state of Zionism was probably influenced by the disengagement plan. But she denied that she had any bitterness towards former Sela Disengagement Authority director Yonatan Bassi, who is also a resident of Sde Eliahu.
Here are excerpts of the lyrics:
'The Israeli nation lives on,' shouts the (Zionist) movement
The Israeli nation lives on, but is silent
No more realizing the Zionist vision
No more wars against poverty and racism
What happened to the (Zionist) movement over the years
What happened to the movement that destroyed the children?
All the sayings and the slogans are but dreams
The ideal is gone, all is destroyed
We must fix it here, now
To repair our land which cries out and is not heard
To aid the weak who call out for help
To strengthen the wounded
And those who defend our holy land to which we remain loyal
To support the state and build more settlements
To create a new beginning, a wonderful life
Therefore, of this dream we will sing and hold dear
Because all that is needed is to spread the light
Religious Kibbutz Movement secretary-general Yair Reinman said he would not take Mor's lyrics too seriously.
"I am happy that there is also optimism and she is not sunk in depression," he said. "But after all, we are talking about a song that a girl in the eighth grade wrote."
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