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Nisan Jaffee
Former Ornithologist

From the River to the Sea (An Ode to Israel)

בס״ד

There is a garden that’s waiting for you,
Where you will at last live free,
Beyond the waves and the wilderness dry,
From the River to the Sea.

The exile of Egypt has come to an  end,
As my first born you shall be,
A fruitful land is awaiting us,
From the River to the Sea.

Olives, dates, and goats abound,
From the plains to the Galilee,
Such is your ever promised land,
From the River to the Sea.

The blessings of dew and rain will fall,
Nourishing grass and tree,
From the azure sky that shelters you,
From the River to the Sea.

The miracles that I perform for you,
Won’t always be easy to see,
But my hidden gifts will rain upon you,
From the River to the Sea.

Exile may come again at times,
But my love you shall always be,
The land will yearn and call you back,
From the River to the Sea.

There will be those who call you thieves,
“You took this land from me,”
But it’s I who weds you to this land,
From the River to the Sea.

So open your eyes and ears and hearts,
For these things are soon to be,
And treasure your life in the land I love,
From the River to the Sea.

About the Author
Born in New York City in 1952, Nisan moved in 1967 to St. Thomas, US Virgin Islands. He graduated from Colgate University, and received an MA in Biology from William and Mary. Nisan resided in Charlottesville, VA, Newtonville, MA, and Baltimore, MD before making aliyah in 2013. He has been married for 40 years, with three adult children and ten grandchildren. He lives in Efrat.
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