The gates to Israel are open: a prayer of gratitude

קַבְּלֵנִי אֶל שִׁירַיִךְ כַּלָּה יְפֵהפִיָּה
פִּתְחִי לִי שֶׁעָרַיִךְ אָבוֹא בָּם אוֹדֶה יָה

Draw me into your songs, beautiful bride
Open your gates for me; I’ll enter and give thanks to God

The gates to Israel are open.

We will enter them with hands full of documents and hearts full of longing.

עוֹד לֹא תַּמּוּ כָּל פְּלָאַיִךְ…

Your wonders have not ceased…

The poet wrote, the artist sang
An anthem for this journey of reunion.

For almost two years we visited only in our dreams.

Now we can cross land, ocean, sky —-and bend down to kiss the ground.

We will exit the virtual world for the real one.

אַרְצֵנוּ הַקְּטַנְטֹנֶת, אַרְצֵנוּ הַיָּפָה
מוֹלֶדֶת בְּלִי כֻּתֹּנֶת, מוֹלֶדֶת יְחֵפָה

Our tiny land, our beautiful land
A homeland whose dress is simple, whose feet are bare

Jerusalem’s golden light awaits our gaze.

And beyond, the azure sea, the sandy hills,
Colors we ached to see over long months.

We will breathe deep the air of this beloved land.

We will drink in her sounds, her rhythms, her flavors,

Our senses ablaze, alive to the moment.

How gratefully we will embrace our loved ones!

Hands grasping for hands, eyes seeking eyes,
Savoring the blessing that we are together, at long last.

פִּתְחִי לִי שֶׁעָרַיִךְ אָבוֹא בָּם אוֹדֶה יָה

Open your gates for me; I’ll enter and give thanks to God

We will lift our grateful hearts to You, God.

You hear our prayers and know our longings.

Words of Shehechiyanu will be on our lips.

Praised are You, Lord Our God, who kept us alive,
sustained us, enabled us to reach this moment.

Praised are You, Lord Our God,
Your wonders have not ceased.