A Nation of Superheroes (Giborei Al)

Since the outbreak of War on October 7, many local artists have composed songs commemorating the fallen, or singing about courage and optimism. As the first anniversary of October 7 has come and gone, and the war drags on, the song Giborei Al, “Superheroes”, depicts the Israeli spirit and character so simply, yet so absolutely, that it deserves to be translated and elucidated. Released as a single by the reggae band, Hatikvah 6, in February 2024, it was penned based on an earlier Facebook post by Asaf Peri, an educator and author, back in November 2023, when several hundred thousand reserve soldiers, miluimnikim, had dropped everything, and were literally mobilised overnight. It’s an ode to the “ordinary’’ reservist, man and woman alike, who by donning their army fatigues, transform into the ‘’extraordinary’’. It is as if the citizens of Israel have secret military personas. If one stops and examines the ordinary people behind superheroes in popular culture, their occupations or day jobs makes this analogy to miluimnikim all the more precise: Superman is a journalist, Batman an industrialist and philanthropist, Spider-Man a student, Catwoman a secretary, the Incredible Hulk a nuclear scientist, and Wonder Woman a nurse (depending on which anthology you are reading).

The journalist and music critic, Yossi Harsonsky, writes on his yosmusic site that Giborei Al is more than a dedication to the reservists. It is in fact a song of praise for this great nation called “the people of Israel” who have left everything – careers, studies and their businesses – to fight. Implicit in this praise, are the partners and spouses of the soldiers who remain in the Home Front, keeping routine for their families during a time where there is anything but routine. Lead singer, Omri Glikman, converses with the listener as if sitting in his salon, randomly listing duties of soldiers and their professions. The melancholy opening changes into the familiar melodic-harmonic rhythm of Hatikvah 6, without nuance. The song is a musical embrace of all soldiers, and sends a general message of national brotherhood and unity within Am Yisrael. Hatikva 6 always manages to blow off an optimistic spirit in their music. Our realities – either routine or as a superhero persona (or related to a superhero), converge in this song, as we go along our way.

Translation note: I transliterated some of the original Hebrew to allow the reader to enjoy the rhyme scheme of the song, and I include a glossary at the end to explain the meanings of these words. For example, I could have simply written ‘’football’’ instead of kadoor regel, but then this would not have rhymed with the following line, heeding the call of the ‘’flag’’ or degel. Some may call this artistic license.

Superheroes

Hatikvah 6

Lyrics by Asaf Peri and Omri Glikman

Translation by David Arkin

So, the Tanakh teacher is in Givati

The language teacher in Modi’in

The neighbour from above a builder, but already a month has been in milu’im

The lawyer, she’s an Operations Officer

Carrying out shifts in the Agudah

Her brother’s a Hitech exec, now a sniper on the roofs of the Re’zu’ah

The tough manager of the bank branch, she’s a Sam’gad in Yehuda and Shomron

Doron, he’s an owner of a toy shop, now a company commander in Shirion

And our Amedi, kaparah, who mostly sings in Caesarea

A combat engineer recovering heroically after he was injured in the heart of Gaza

It’s true that everyone here looks ordinary, but

We’re a nation of Superheroes

Within each one conceals a soldier

Ready to save the world

The bus driver from Dan

Who is always b’zman

Is now an artillery battery commander in the South, next to Nir Am

And there’s a student from the Technion

In the midst of a first degree

He’s a captain (Res) of Galilee Company, by now a month on the border in the Tzafon

There’s a beauty model paramedic

There’s an electrician who’s a Mag’ist

There’s Yoni, a gifted saxophonist, first and foremost a Matkal’ist

Everyone has a secret closet

Or a large accessory chest full of ware

Therein lies a set of uniforms and garb, always ready to dare

It’s true that everyone here looks ordinary, but

We’re a nation of Superheroes

Within each one conceals a soldier

Ready to save the world

And it doesn’t matter if in the middle of life or in the middle of a game of ka’door regel

Everyone will leave in a second to heed the call of the degel

Here it is no parallel universe, no reality of Marvel

It’s our story, the story of Am Yis’rael

Glossary and Notes:

Tanakh: This is the Hebrew Bible, Judaism’s foundational text. “Tanakh” is an acronym for the three major sections of the canon, the Torah (the Five Books of Moses), Nevi’im (Prophets), and Ketuvim (Writings)

Givati: An infantry brigade of the IDF

Modi’in: phonetic Hebrew for Army Intelligence

Milu’im: phonetic Hebrew for Army Reserves

Agudah: phonetic Hebrew for Division

Re’zu’ah: phonetic Hebrew for (Gaza) Strip

Sam’gad: phonetic Hebrew and acronym for deputy battalion commander

Shirion: phonetic Hebrew for Armoured Corp (usually, colloquially, referring to tanks)

Kaparah: Slang for ‘’dear’’ or ‘’beloved’’

Amedi: a reference to Idan Amedi, a singer/actor, well-known from the series Fauda, who was injured badly whilst serving in the Reserves, demolishing Hamas tunnels in January 2024

Dan: A Bus company

B’zman: phonetic Hebrew for “on time”

Tzafon: phonetic Hebrew for North

Mag’ist: phonetic Hebrew for a MAG (assault machine gun) operator

Matkal’ist: phonetic Hebrew for a soldier in Sayeret Matkal, one of the IDF’s elite units

Kadoor regel: phonetic Hebrew for football

Degel: phonetic Hebrew for the Israeli Flag

Am Yis’rael: phonetic Hebrew for Nation of Israel

גיבורי על

התקווה 6

מילים: עמרי גליקמן ואסף פרי

לחן: עמרי גליקמן ועמית שגיא

אז המורה לתנך בגבעתי

המורה ללשון מודיעין

השכן מלמעלה קבלן עבודות אבל חודש כבר במילואים

עורכת הדין היא קמב”צית

עושה משמרות באוגדה

אחיה איש הייטק בכיר עכשיו הוא צלף על גגות ברצועה

מנהלת הסניף הקשוחה של הבנק היא סמג״ד ביהודה ושומרון

דורון הוא בעל חנות צעצועים עכשיו הוא מ״פ בשריון

ועמדי שלנו כפרה שלרוב מזמר בקיסריה

לוחם הנדסה מתאושש בגבורה אחרי שנפצע בלב עזה

נכון כולם נראים פה רגילים אבל

אנחנו עם של גיבורי על

בכל אחד תמיד מסתתר חייל

מוכן להציל את העולם

הנהג אוטובוס של דן

זה שתמיד עומד בזמן

הוא עכשיו מפקד סוללת תותחנים בדרום ליד ניר עם

ויש סטודנט בטכניון

באמצע תואר ראשון

הוא סרן במיל בעוצבת הגליל כבר חודש בגבול הצפון

יש פה דוגמנית פראמדיקית

יש פה חשמלאי שהוא מאגיסט

יש את יוני נגן סקסופון מחונן שהוא קודם כל מטכליסט

יש לכולם ארון נסתר

או ארגז גדול מאובזר

יש בו סט של מדים וגלימת מילואים מוכנות תמיד לאתגר

נכון כולם נראים פה רגילים אבל

אנחנו עם של גיבורי על

בכל אחד תמיד מסתתר חייל

מוכן להציל את העולם

וזה לא משנה אם באמצע החיים או באמצע משחק כדורגל

כולם יעזבו את הכל בשנייה אם יקרא להם הדגל

פה זה לא יקום מקביל לא מציאות של מארוול

זה הסיפור שלנו – עם ישראל