[HANASHIR:12593] Re: Specific songs for a Rabin memorial Service

[ilana axel <iaxel...>]

You are almost correct, but it is in reality much more
chilling.
At the end of the rally in support of the peace
process, Rabin had just finished singing "Shir
Lashalom", with Shimon Peres and Miri Aloni at his
side. Miri Aloni was one of the original singers who
helped make this song a hit. It can also be heard on
the soundtrack of the movie "Halahaka", it was written
by Yair Rosenblum for, if I'm not mistaken, the
Entertainment Troupes of the IDF. It was banned for
awhile in Israel on the ultra-orthodox airwaves
because of it's extreme non- messianic message, a
rough translation being: "Sing a song of peace my
friend, it's not enough to pray, sing loud and clear
and shout for peace, don't whisper now, for we must
bring the day."
For people like me (I was in Israel still then and my
son and husband were at the rally) the vision of Rabin
singing this particular song, at this particular time,
was a marvelous inspiration, so hopeful, so
miraculous.
Indeed, it was the words to this song that were in
Rabin's pocket when he was assasinated, shortly after
finishing the song at the end of the rally. I believe
that this page, (covered in his blood), is still
preserved somewhere in an official manner.
This song has since represented for me both the
greatest height of hope and the greatest pain of
despair. 
I'm sure others out there may be able to add or
clarify further the information I am posting here.
I have been teaching this song to everyone I can this
past year, and added it to a medley of Israeli and
American peace songs that we presented before a
concert with Rabbi Joe Black last June. I feel it is a
very important song to teach when conveying Israeli
music and history, though the Hebrew is tricky, thus
the singable translation I posted above.
Thanks for listening.
Ilana

--- Lorshap (at) aol(dot)com wrote:
> Someone once told me that Rabin had a the words to
> AL KOL ELE in his pocket 
> when he died. I'd love to know if it's really true.
> If it is, then indeed 
> there's a suggestion.
> Lori Shapiro
> 


=====
Ilana Axel
Music Director/Jewish Music Specialist/Singer
JRF Master Teacher 2002
Shir Hadash Reconstructionist Synagogue
Northbrook, Illinois
Tel: 847-279-0473
iaxel (at) yahoo(dot)com

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