Monday, April 23, 2012

Harel - Praising 'ordinary' soldiers

Zvi Harel..
Yisrael Hayom..
22 April '12..

Along with the many stories of heroism and grief that we will hear ahead of Memorial Day for Fallen Soldiers and Victims of Terror, which begins Tuesday at sundown, it is safe to assume we will also hear the song "Elifelet" over and over again. This poem is one of the most unique tributes to heroism ever written in Israel.

Penned by Nathan Alterman (1910-1970) and later set to music, the poem is much more than just another melancholy song in the history of Hebrew music. It deals with a less-talked-about aspect of the Israeli ethos of heroism that has developed around the defenders of this land. The song doesn't present the classic hero, a Sabra (native-born Israeli) with blue eyes; instead it praises the heroism of "regular" IDF soldiers – the anonymous masses who didn't get much credit before they donned their uniforms and were drafted against their will.

Alterman wrote the poem in 1959 for the Armored Corps band in which his daughter, Tirza Atar, sang. It was put to music by Sasha Argov, who composed music for many of Alterman's poems. Over the years, "Elifelet" has been performed by a variety of Israeli singers, among them Arik Einstein, Shlomo Artzi, Shashi Keshet, Nathan Solar, Alterman's grandson, and other young singers born well after the poem.



What does the song tell us? Like the rest of us, Alterman was impressed with and moved by the heroism of the ordinary soldier, the "common soldier," who, caught in the heat of battle and with incredible courage, paid the highest price: his young life. But Alterman honors these soldiers' heroism it in a different and more poignant way than others. He paints his hero as innocent and unsuccessful, not a fighter recognized as such since youth. On the contrary, he is described as a "bish gada gadol," an Aramaic expression for an unfortunate or unlucky person. His neighbors make fun of him and say, "He doesn't even have the slightest bit of character," wrote Alterman.


Later in the song, Elifelet emerges as a daring soldier, who doesn't hesitate to sacrifice his life for his comrades when their ammunition runs out. The song says Elifelet felt he had to refill the munitions stock, “so because he doesn’t have the slightest bit of character, he crawls right into the line of fire." Elifelet acted on instinct, not because he was commanded to do so. The end comes as no surprise: Elifelet is wounded, collapses and dies. The poem ends, however, with a divine reward for the brave soldier.

Alterman describes the angel Gabriel approaching Elifelet, "lying at the outpost on a hilltop." Gabriel comforts Elifelet, telling him he has "landed in heaven."

Since Israel's founding 64 years ago and even today, many "Elifelets" unknown or unheard of by the general public have been discovered. Only those close to them, their friends from the army and their families, are familiar with their acts of heroism and self-sacrifice.

Sadly, in a country whose neighbors are constantly trying to strangle it, more "Elifelets" will likely be discovered in the course of battle. Before they were soldiers, most of these "Elifelets" were mocked by neighbors who would say, "He doesn't even have the slightest bit of character." And yet all of us here owe our lives to them.

Link: http://www.israelhayom.com/site/newsletter_opinion.php?id=1764

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