Some of my most powerful memories from camp are from Saturday after dinner, sitting around sticky dining hall tables. Those of us that wanted to would spend this hour of free time together singing songs, slow ones, to embrace the mood of saying goodbye to Shabbat. We sat with crumpled, stained song sheets, singing these words that made us feel connected to each other and to our tradition. The summer before my sophomore year of high school, there was one song that struck me each week, every time I sang it:
אַחֵינוּ כָּל בֵּית יִשְׂרָאֵל, הַנְּתוּנִים בְּצָרָה וּבַשִּׁבְיָה, הָעוֹמְדִים בֵּין בַּיָּם וּבֵין בַּיַּבָּשָׁה, הַמָּקוֹם יְרַחֵם עֲלֵיהֶם, וְיוֹצִיאֵם מִצָּרָה לִרְוָחָה, וּמֵאֲפֵלָה לְאוֹרָה, וּמִשִּׁעְבּוּד לִגְאֻלָּה, הַשְׁתָּא בַּעֲגָלָא וּבִזְמַן קָרִיב. As for our brothers, the whole house of Israel, who are given over to trouble or captivity, whether they are on the sea or on dry land. May the All-present have mercy upon them, and bring them forth from trouble to wellbeing, from darkness to light, and from subjection to redemption, now speedily and at a near time.
My small Jewish world in Kansas City was starting to expand as I had more friends from camp from all over the Midwest, as I became more involved in regional USY. In the coming years I knew that I would go on March of the Living, seeing the atrocities of the Shoah, and that I would likely go on a gap year program in Israel before college. I started to think about my growing connections, the way that my world and my love could expand, and it felt powerful to be a part of Jewish Peoplehood. My Jewishness was bigger than myself.
This song, Acheinu, is about unity, about connection to others, especially in times of trouble and distress. I always knew what the words meant but I don’t think I ever felt like they have applied as much as they have in the last month. When one of us is under such painful duress, we feel it as a whole, because we are part of the collective. It reminds me that our Peoplehood isn’t just about finding commonalities with one another or celebrating the same traditions. Peoplehood is about being one organism, one body, one unit.
In hard times, I’ve often turned to song, this one and others. The words give me language to some of the deepest, hardest feelings, and the melodies often give my soul an outlet to express its deepest sentiments. These last few weeks, I have found myself singing some of these songs often. I’ll catch myself singing David Broza’s “Yihiyeh Tov” or Naomi Shemer’s “Lu Yehi” without realizing it. These songs have been sung for years when our people have been in hard times. There have been too many of them. This Saturday night, we’ll join together at the shul at 7:30 for a Night of Song and Comfort, singing these songs together.
I pray that our brothers and sisters all over the world will no longer know distress or trouble, that these songs inspire us to act, to bring us all closer to one another, to help bring peace.
הַשְׁתָּא בַּעֲגָלָא וּבִזְמַן קָרִיב. now speedily and at a near time
