My mom sent me this awesome PowerPoint presentation of Chava Alberstein singing her own version of 'Hadgadya over a montage of incredible paintings by Israeli artist Baruch Nachshon -- a hasid who lives in Hebron. Both Alberstein and Nachshon have a knack for expressing volumes of spirit and meaning in the subtle nuances of their art. But while I was watching the slide show for the dozenth time or so last night, something else occurred to me. Something old and obvious but new and inspiring at the same time: the miracle of Jewish national culture reborn.
Art is the way that the soul of a people finds its voice, whether it be through song or poetry, dance or theater, painting or sculpture. One of the things you can't help but be struck by when you visit Israel (or live there) is the abundance of artistic expression everywhere. It gushes out of every crack and crevice. Spontaneous works of art are always happening, are almost always embraced, are most often integrated in surprising ways into everyday life. It's 2,000 years of stifled creativity, channeled through other people's culture, now suddenly home again, free to be itself, to find itself. It's truly an amazing phenomenon, and one so natural, so intrinsic, that it's easy to take it for granted, to fail to appreciate the sheer wonder of it. But it is a miracle. And it couldn't have happened anywhere else.
Now those of you who know Chava Alberstein -- and the story behind her version of 'Hadgadya -- know that she wrote it as a protest against the Israeli "disproportionate response" to what's commonly known as the "first intifada." You can find some background here. And here. And no doubt elsewhere. This, too, is part of the rebirth of Jewish national culture. But a sadder part. A part that, I fear, may threaten the longevity of that rebirth. Alberstein's politics aside, however, it's an amazing, beautiful piece. So please enjoy.
Shabbat Shalom.
