It is often said that Am Yisrael are to be a light unto the nations,
but what kind of light?
Some say it is to be a lighthouse of ethics
above a sea of raging currents
Others say we must reveal light
by striking down those who spread darkness
And still others say it means
to reveal the light in all things
But I say
that the soul of man is the lamp of God
and Am Yisrael are his prism
And wow, I see so much colour.
The black and white of swaying jackets and shirts,
the sky-blue of t’khelet,
the bronze of tanned bodies on sandy beaches,
the bright reds and ambers of Moroccan spices,
the khaki-green found everywhere,
the flag of many colours flown in the West,
the shiny metallic skyscrapers and the sand of Jerusalem stone
Who is like you, O Israel!
One nation in the land
we are the finest mosaic in history
Do not choose to be a chameleon
seek out your colour
then shine it brightly
we’re counting on you.
