Asphalt road on Mount of Olives in Jerusalem. Panoramic view of old city Jerusalem, Israel
Go, and know…
When the world has grown small, and yet family feels farther away than ever, here’s a moment to pause, with a sense of pride, and an awareness of destiny (Lech Lecha)
Go
From your native land
From your father’s home
To the Land that I will show you
Go
From your siblings
And their children
That you love
Almost as much as your own
Go
From your grandparents
That you’re terrified to leave
Because they are frail
And their hands tremored when you told them
Go
From your colleagues
And your accomplishments
Go
From your childhood friends
That you can never make again
Because they know
So they laugh at your stories
And only they will ever laugh that way
At your stories.
Go
To The Land that he went to
But know, it will break your mother’s heart
And your children will miss the hugs
That only she can give
Go
From your native land
From your father’s home
To the Land that I will show you
Go
From your siblings
And their children
That you love
Almost as much as your own
Go
From your grandparents
That you’re terrified to leave
Because they are frail
And their hands tremored when you told them
Go
From your colleagues
And your accomplishments
Go
From your childhood friends
That you can never make again
Because they know
So they laugh at your stories
And only they will ever laugh that way
At your stories.
Go
To The Land that he went to
But know, it will break your mother’s heart
And your children will miss the hugs
That only she can give
Go
To The Land
That will make everything sweeter
And harder
And deeper
And right
To the Land
That will embrace you
In its foreignness
And its familiarity
Its stones
Its spices
Its love
Go
To The Land they wanted to get back to
All those years
And years
But couldn’t
Go
To The Land
And you will pinch yourself
As you eat waffles drizzled with chocolate
On a terrace
With your children
And think of those thousands of years
When they couldn’t
Go
And watch your children
Turn into the people you always dreamed
They could become
As they learn the language
And the empathy
And the resilience
And the pride
And the curses
And the arguments
And the rivers
And the songs
Go
But know that when you watch him
Score baskets
Your cheers
Will be tinged with fear
Because he is young and able
And he loves the country like you taught him to
Go
Knowing they will see and hear things
That will make them grow up too fast
And grow cynical
And believe
Go
So she sees strong women everywhere she turns
And so she loves her curly hair
Go
So they will never have to
Go
With faith
And with fear
With longing
With yearning
Towards the flag
In the sun
Go
With confidence
Because he went
To the Land
He was promised
Your future
