The Jewish New Year ( ראש השנה /rosh hashanah) has always been one of my favourite holidays - a time when we celebrate renewal and continuity, when we wish one another a sweet and peaceful new year. This year the wish for a peaceful year seems particularly apt, given recent events. I don't think I'm alone in feeling that I just want to sink into this month of short workweeks, introspection and quiet, to stop thinking about politics and wars for a little while and focus on personal stuff and happy stuff.
Last night I was invited to the celebratory dinner at the home of Diana, my oldest friend, and her family (I wrote about them and posted photos here). Kim and Lynn, Diana's twin daughters, just started high school this year. Given that I have known them since they were unfertilized eggs, the sense of time-a-passing was pretty strong. They've been taking guitar lessons lately and before we sat down for dinner they performed the late Ehud Manor's (bio of Manor here) song, "In the Next Year." (Hebrew lyrics here). I filmed them without their knowledge (they thought I was taking still photos) and am posting the video of us all warbling out of key below. Maybe they'll discover the video when they're 16 and tell me that I positively humiliated them. ;) Or not.
Scroll down to the bottom for the video.
Kim and Lynn (click to big)
Roughtly translated, the lyrics of the song go like this:
In the next year
Next year we'll sit on the porch
And we'll count migrating birds
Children on holiday will play catch
Between the house and the fields
Chorus:
Wait and see, wait and see
How good it's going to be
Next year
Red grapes will become ripe by evening
And will be served chilled at the table
And gentle breezes will carry with them
Old newspapers and a cloud
Wait and see, wait and see...
Next year we'll spread open the palms of our hands
In front of the flowing white light
A white heron will spread its wings in the light
And the sun will shine into them
Wait and see, wait and see...
