Oh, Jerusalem!

When first I saw you, I was enchanted.

No picture, however beautiful, can capture the air of sublime serenity,

Which descends upon one’s heart, when gazing at the city of golden-cream Judean stone.

An oasis in the desert for a Jew’s tortured soul, to satisfy the yearning of generations lost.

A spirit of calm, which allows one’s desires to rest.

Oh, Jerusalem!

When sunlight strikes the golden Dome, like a magnet, it draws us to Judaism’s heart.

And, we flock to it, your ancient wall. And we stand in awe upon seeing it stand,

Reminding us of when our house was our home, and our home was blessed.

Then this panorama of idyll is overlain, with our lives of today, filled with confusion and fear.

Oh Jerusalem!

Fair city of David, promise of peace wove in your name,

How can we attain it, with such conflict and pain?

About the Author

Paul Mirbach (PEM), made Aliya from South Africa to kibbutz Tuval in 1982 with a garin of Habonim members. Together they built a new kibbutz, transforming rocks and mud into a green oasis in the Gallilee. Paul still lives on Tuval. He calls it his little corner of Paradise.