Published in Iyar 5765/May 2007.

Based on quotes from articles that appeared in The Jerusalem Post.

On a warm Jerusalem night in May 1967, Naomi Shemer sat, pen in hand, struggling for an idea to compose a song for the upcoming Israel Song Festival. To her dismay, the producer had insisted on Jerusalem as the song's theme, even when she pleaded with him to release her from the commitment. Staring out the window at the gray Jerusalem streets, she suddenly recalled a Talmudic story about Rabbi Akiva, who had promised his wife a piece of jewelry called "Jerusalem of gold." Would such a title be too optimistic? But Naomi closed her eyes, envisioned a future golden city, took a deep breath, and began to write her highly successful "Yerushalayim Shel Zahav."

When the Old City of Jerusalem was liberated by the Israel Defense Forces several weeks after the Festival, "Yerushalayim Shel Zahav" became an international phenomenon. In the Soviet Union, the song inspired hope among Jewish refuseniks, and Israelis even lobbied for it to replace "Hatikvah, " the national anthem. Naomi later wrote an additional stanza to the song, celebrating the liberation of the Old City.

BABAGANEWZ was curious to find out what kept Israel's "First Lady of Israeli Song" attuned to Israeli hopes and aspirations, as reflected in her hundreds of popular Hebrew songs. Since Naomi passed away in 2004, we found the answers in interviews that she gave over the years.

Q: What inspired you to write your wonderful songs?

A: My generation was one with the national story. Even when tragedies befell us, there was a sense of something very exciting happening, something young and promising. This was especially true in the 1930s and 1940s, and even more so if you were born on a kibbutz, like me. I was 18 when the State of Israel was founded. It was a very optimistic time, and I tried to capture that optimism in my music.

Q: What do you like about being a lyricist?

A: You can't innovate much in music; style and form are more or less given. Lyrics, on the other hand, are much more personal.... Unlike music, which has to be fluid and harmonic, words can be crazy and mixed up. So alongside Biblical references, I'll put in street language and personal idioms. That's the beauty of Israel: a word spoken 4,000 years ago can be set beside a word spoken by a child today, and both have meaning for me.

Q: Many of your songs talk about Lake Kinneret. Why?

A: I was born in a kibbutz called Kvutzat Kinneret. My parents, Rivka and Meir Sapir, were from Vilna and came to Israel during the Third Aliyah [1919-1923]. They helped build the kibbutz with their own hands. I remember my father as a warm, loving, funny person. My mother was in charge of my music education, and to her I owe every part of my professional skills.... The dearest points in my life happened to me in the kibbutz and, therefore, were the first sources of my inspiration.

Q: Many of your songs quote from the Tanakh and traditional texts. For example, the famous quote "If not now, when?" (Pirkei Avot 1:14) is mentioned in your song "Od Lo Ahavti Dai." What prompted you to quote religious texts so often?

A: Though it is true that the Bible constituted my bedside reading, I am not a religious writer.... As a young student, I learned all the Israeli poets by heart, as well as many chapters in the Bible, Rashi, and other traditional texts. We had a very intimate knowledge of the Bible because of the way it was taught. These words are part of my language and part of my life, and therefore part of my songs.

The Naomi Effect
Naomi Shemer’s influence continues to touch Jewish musicians and songwriters today. Here’s what a few well-known composers said about her:

“Naomi Shemer did not just write beautiful songs—she wrote the soundtrack of the Jewish people. Her voice and her message were pure. Her songs had the ability to inspire and challenge, and often at the same time.”
—Craig Taubman

“The amazing thing about Naomi Shemer was that she was not afraid. Her melodies were smooth and flowing, and she wrote songs about whatever she was feeling. She was a pioneer, and showed the way for others to write what they feel.”
—Lenny Solomon of Shlock Rock

“Naomi wrote about her home and her people. She had such an incredible love of Israel, and that’s demonstrated in all her songs. I met her once. She was so prolific, and her love for the country was very moving to me. I used a lot of her songs when I was a song leader at camp.”
—Debbie Friedman