Miri Ben Ari on the violin!
Israel’s most popular rapper Subliminal released this track for Yom Hashoah, called Adon Olam, Ad Matai – God Almighty, Until When? I like the tune, and the video is a little too arty, but the dancers are for the most part excellent – I suppose bling and bitches would not be appropriate imagery for a Holocaust themed song that references God.

Video here.

What’s kind of cool is that immediately after Holocaust Memorial Day, the street vendors in Israel put out their Israeli Flag displays for Israel Independence Day and people start driving around with newly purchased Israeli flags attached to their cars or start hanging flags out their windows etc. They don’t do this until the very next day after Yom Hashoah. Despite the fact that Israel Independence Day is preceded by Israel Memorial Day in honor of those who fell for the state, it seems that the commercial sale and wanton display of Israeli flags of all sizes is understood to be garish and inappropriate prior to Holocaust Memorial Day. It’s as if to say, let us mourn our dead first, and only then will we be able to celebrate the rebirth of our nation.

Subliminal is a cheeseball sometimes and on this track he raps as follows:

Though they left nothing of the Star of David
I will wear mine and never take it off as long as I live
It will remind me not to repeat the same mistakes in the future
and to keep my eyes open
To learn not to become bait for the hunters
Not to be afraid and scared to stand up
To live in dignity and die in dignity

(in Hebrew it rhymes…)

Frankly, I think the Holocaust and the birth of Israel taught us a few other things. Israel was not born in hatred – had everyone been consumed with vengeance and darkness, they would never have been able to accomplish what they did. Israel is the fulfillment of a dream. Israel is the realization of a completely idealistic and crazily optimistic vision. Of course it’s not perfect, but gosh darn… what an incredible and unprecedented accomplishment it was to carve out this modern and cosmopolitan enclave in a sea of backwardness and oppression. Hate did not build Israel. Fear of hunters did not build Israel. It was love and unprecedented optimism that did it. Take from that what you will – but unlike Subliminal, I will not allow myself to be defined by a genocide orchestrated by a bunch of sick fucks. I’ll mourn my losses of course, quietly and with all due respect. But I will define myself by the values and accomplishments of my people.

Israel Independence day this year is April 24th. Israel Memorial day is the day before. Get your flags before they run out!

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About the author

ck

Founder and Publisher of Jewlicious, David Abitbol lives in Jerusalem with his wife, newborn daughter and toddler son. Blogging as "ck" he's been blocked on twitter by the right and the left, so he's doing something right.

12 Comments

  • May 16th? The date I have for hay iyyar is April 24th, am I missing something here?

  • “What’s kind of cool is that immediately after Holocaust Memorial Day, the street vendors in Israel put out their Israeli Flag displays for Israel Independence Day and people start driving around with newly purchased Israeli flags attached to their cars or start hanging flags out their windows etc. They don’t do this until the very next day after Yom Hashoah.”

    Of course not — can’t let the exile taint the New Jew. Justify, yes…but not overlap. There was exile, and then, and only then, “out of the ashes” (said with a big macho Israeli accent).

    There is no independent Holocaust Day — there is only part 1 and part 2 of Israeli Independence Day.

  • The first time I went to Israel I was just astounded at how people created this place contending with the near constant parasite of war, rapid social change with waves of immigration, and other obstacles. So I agree with you, a dream, a crazy optimistic dream. This time next week I will be on my way: next week in Jerusalem!

  • It’s OK CK, I have had a bunch of people losing the date on me this year, and you were not so far off, with May 16th being Yom Yerushalayim.

  • “bling and bitches would not be appropriate imagery for a Holocaust themed song that references God”

    no doubt. ‘course, neither is G-D AWFUL RAPPING AND PISS POOR ART DIRECTION.

    really just because this clown refrained from a “bling and bitches” video clip for Yom Ha’Shoah does not make this song or this “artist” any less pathetic.

  • I removed the video – partly because people were complaining that it kept playing, partly because it’s a terrible song and I’m embarrassed to see it here.