Soccer Dad

Od yeshama

From Alan and Andrea in Israel

I won't type out the verse of "Od Yeshama" in Hebrew, but the translation goes something like this:

May there be heard in the cities of Judea and in the streets of Yerushalayim, the sound of joy and the sound of celebration, the voice of the bridegroom and the voice of the bride.

I heard this yesterday, Shabbat morning, and it made me pause. I had one of those moments that hits every once in a while. These are moments that remind me why I (and the collective "we") are really here.

Background: On Friday night, the announcements included several mazel tovs for weddings last week, and the names of three couples who got engaged in the last week. There was extra singing and dancing at the Carlebach minyan as well.

I went to the early Shabbat morning minyan (7:30) at our shule. As I left, people were walking in for the 3rd minyan (9:15). Evidently, one of the girls who got engaged last week was walking to shule. Her friends saw her, and immediately surrounded her with singing and dancing in the street. They were singing "Od Yeshama."

I kept walking, and then the meaning of the words hit me. They were able to actually do what the words of the song meant. Here we all were, Jews in the cities of Judah (OK, technically, a yishuv in the Shomron), and the young ladies were singing and celebrating with the voice of the bride. This is what brings it all together here.