[Background] [Text
and Guitar Chords] [Notes and Links] [Points
to Ponder]
A young man from Galicia, named Naphtali Herz Imber [1],
inspired by the founding of Petah Tikvah in 1878, wrote a poem about
his feelings.
A farmer from Rishon LeZion heard the poem and enjoyed it so much that
he promptly set it to music.
The song, originally called "Tikvatenu" [2]
(Our Hope), later became "Hatikvah," the national anthem of
the State of Israel, lifting the spirits of Zionists around the world
for over a century.
Naphtali Herz Imber was born in 1856 into a Hasidic family. He received
a traditional education, and left home at an early age to wander around
the world. He came to Palestine in 1882 and stayed for six years writing
essays, poetry and articles for Hebrew periodicals.
Tikvatenu, one of Imber’s most popular poems, was first published
in 1886, although it had initially been read in public as early as 1882
to a group of farmers in Rishon LeZion who received it enthusiastically.
Among them was Samuel Cohen [3] who was born in Moldavia.
He decided to set the poem to a traditional Moldavian-Rumanian folksong
[4] called "Carul cu Boi" (Cart and Oxen).
During the 1880’s in Palestine, many tunes and adaptations became
folksongs, no one thinking of copyrights. The "Tikvatenu"
melody thus quickly became anonymous, and Imber’s association
with it, all but forgotten.
"Hatikvah" was sung at the conclusion of the Sixth Zionist
Congress in Basle in 1903, the last congress presided over by Theodor
Herzl, who died tragically the following year. The anthem [5]
was sung at all subsequent Zionist Congresses, and at the 18th Congress,
held in Prague in 1933, it was officially confirmed as the Zionist anthem.
In 1892, the poet Imber settled in America, where he was married for
a brief time. It was here that his second volume of poetry appeared
in 1900 together with Talmudic literature translated into English. In
spite of these intellectual achievements, however, he found it impossible
to make a decent living in New York City, and in 1909, he died in poverty.
His poem lived on, becoming the unofficial anthem of Jewish Palestine
under the British mandate. At the Declaration of the State of Israel
on May 14, 1948, "Hatikvah" was sung by the assembly at its
opening ceremony.
The words of "Hatikvah" have a timeless relevance [6]
for Jews everywhere, reinforced by both good and bad experiences - reinforced
by wars and peace treaties alike. Naphtali Herz Imber’s words
are as old as the Jewish people itself, yet they are also as young as
the State of Israel, which took them to its heart.
Text by Dulcy Leibler reproduced from the World Zionist Press Service,
of the former WZO./JAFI © Department of Information
http://reed.kfar-olami.org.il/resources/landmark/zionist/hatikva.htm
Notes & Links
by Gila Ansell Brauner
[1] Naftali Herz Imber 1856-1909, born in Zloczow,
Poland, lived in Eretz Yisrael, but moved to America and died in New
York. In 1953, his body was reinterred on Mt. Herzl in Jerusalem in
the National Cemetery for Israel's statesmen and women.
Short biography and literary notes
http://www.ithl.org.il/author_info.asp?id=127
Other biographies in:
http://www.ourjerusalem.com/history/story/history20010501a.html
and
http://www.hillel.org/Hillel/NewHille.nsf/fcb8259ca861ae57852567d30043ba26/
e749c626194910a385256af00060351b/$FILE/hatikvah_navigator.pdf
[2] The poem, "Tikvateinu" originally had
nine verses and there was a print version in 1895, although it was not
published. It was adapted in 1897, when it was also sung at the First
Zionist Congress in Basle, and it was adopted as the Congress hymn in
1933.
Best text versions found here:
- MFA English, Hebrew, (sheet music)
http://www.mfa.gov.il/mfa/go.asp?MFAH00k90
Original version of Tikvateinu (English)
http://www.bnaimoshe.org/tikvatenu.htm
http://www.ourjerusalem.com/history/story/history20010501a.html
and
http://www.hillel.org/Hillel/NewHille.nsf/fcb8259ca861ae57852567d30043ba26/
e749c626194910a385256af00060351b/$FILE/hatikvah_navigator.pdf
[3] There is a dispute as to whether the composer
was Samuel Cohen or Nissan Belzer, but most sources give Samuel Cohen
and this is authenticated by researcher Cecil Bloom
http://www.mucjs.org/BloomL.HTM
and the late Professor Zvia Ganor
http://www.ivrit.org/literary/whose_hatikva.htm .
[4] The origin of the tune is also under dispute,
but this is easily clarified. When Smetana composed Moldau/Ma Vlast
on the basis of a Moldavian folk tune, he was using an authentic source;
Samuel Cohen was from Moldavia and the Moldavian tunes were commonly
used. There would have been no copyright infringement, in that case,
but Samuel Cohen never received any fee for his composition, either.
Best online versions of Hatikvah music:
[5] Another candidate for Zionist anthem was
Psalm #126, the "Shir Hama'alot" before Birkat Hamazon
(Grace after Meals), which speaks of the Return to Zion and sung by
the famous Chazan (Cantor) Yossele Rosenblatt. Indeed, it was more popular
in the early years, and both were often sung, even after adoption of
Hatikvah.
http://www.ourjerusalem.com/history/story/history20010501a.html
There has not been legislation designating Hatikvah as Israel's National
Anthem:
http://www.ivrit.org/literary/whose_hatikva.htm
http://www.jewishsf.com/bk980605/supphow.htm
[Source: Jerusalem Post, Carl Schrag]
For a comparative exercise, see: http://www.hillel.org/Hillel/NewHille.nsf/fcb8259ca861ae57852567d30043ba26/
e749c626194910a385256af00060351b/$FILE/hatikvah_navigator.pdf and
[6] below.
[6] Hatikvah also carries echoes of lines from the
Prophet Ezekiel [ Our hope] http://www.shirhadash.org/rabbi/hatikvah.html
See also exercise in [5] above.
Points to Ponder
1. What are the different sources for Hatikvah [6]
and how do the sentiments compare with Psalm #126?[5]
2. Reading about the different anthems and ideas for
anthems [5], what does Hatikvah have going for it?
3. Do you think it should be legislated as Israel's
National Anthem? [5]
4. Is Hatikvah outdated? With what would you suggest
it be replaced?