HATIKVAH: Israel's National Anthem: HOPE

TN "The Neo-Hebrew Poet,",
the seventh chapter of his
"Children of the Ghetto," Is-
rael Zangwill introduced one
of his heroes, Melchitsedek
Pinchas, in thefollowing tell-
ing paragraph:
"The poet was a slim, dark
By PHILIP SLOMOVITZ
little man, with long, matted
black hair. His face was hatch- literary creation. This is the first
et-shaped and not unlike an stanza in Zangwill's translation:
Like the crash of the thunder
Aztec's. The eyes were in-
Which spilleth asunder
formed by an eager brilliance.
The flame of the cloud,
He had a heap of little paper-
On our ears ever falling,
A voice is heard calling
covered books in one hand and
From Zion aloud:
an extinct cigar in the other."
"Let your spirits' desires
The prototype of Zangwill's For the land of your sires
Eternally burn.
Melchitsedek Pinchas was the From the foe to deliver
man who was destined to gain Our own holy river,
immortality with a song To Jordan return."
Where the soft-flowing stream
which struggled for nearly 30 Murmurs low as in a dream,
years for recognition as a There set we our watch.
national anthem. Melchit- Our watchward "The sword
Of our land and our Lord"
tsedek Pinchas was none. other By Jordan there set we our
watch.
than Naphtali Herz Imber,
* * *
author of "Hatikvah"—the
The
first
stanza
and the refrain
Naphtali Herz Imber
Zionist song of Hope which
of
Imbe's
"Hatikvah"
are:
originally appeared under the
title "Tikvathenu."
osition on the tune used by Sef-

The Romantic Story of Naphtali Herz
Imber Author of the Song which
Inspired Faith in Zion's Rebirth

This year marks the 70th an-
niversary of Hatikvah. But the
song did not become the nation-
al anthem of the Zionist move-
ment, in our day the national an-
them of the State of Israel, un-
til the Zionist Congress of 1907.
There were .other challenging
songs which competed with "Hat-
ikvah" for historic honors. "Dort
Vu Die Tzeder" ("Shorn MeKom
Arozim") for a time had more ad-
herents than Imber's song. But
the sentiments of the words and
the catchy tune of "Hatikvah"
gradually caught the imagination
of the masses of the Jewish
people, and as time passed noth-
ing could stop its becoming the
national anthem. and Jewry's
chief song of hope.

ardic Jews in their synagogues
for many years for Psalms 117 in
the Hallel. Myerowitch maintain-
ed that this tune was published
in 1857,-20 years before Smetana
composed his "Bohemian Sym-
phony"—in "The Ancient Melod-
ies of the Liturgy of the Spanish
and Portuguese Jews: Harmoniz-
ed by Emanuel Aguilar, Prefaced
by the Rev. A. D. DeSola."
* - * *
Imber was a most unusual per-
sonality who possessed a great
gift for humor and satire, whose
instant repartee made him fam-
ous wherever he lived—in this
country, in England, in Palestine,
mw5a;:i. rem
in Turkey. Many of his eccentrici-
ties are recorded in Rebecca
Kohut's "As I Know Them." Mrs.
Kohut relates in her book that the
original of "Hatikvah" was pre-
sented by the eminent Hebrew
poet to her son, Dr. George_ Alex-
Nina Salaman's translation of ander Kohut. From the notes in
these two verses from the Hebrew Dr. Ismar Elbogen's "A Century
'of -Jewish Life" we learn that
follows:
this copy of the original of "Hati-
While ever yet unchanged with-
kvah" was presented by Dr.
in his breast,
The inmost heart of Israel Kohut to the Library Of Yale
University. We also learn that
yearns,
And seeking still the borders another copy of Imber's "Hatik-
vah," in the author's handwriting,
of the East,.
- His loving gaze to Zion turns— has been presented to the He-
brew University in Jerusalem by
So long 'our hope will never a non-Jewish singer, a Mrs.
Murphy, who is said to have
die,
known Hebrew. We are told that
Yea, this our hope, through
Mrs. Murphy gave a concert at
ages felt,
a New York hospital where Im-
Back to our father's land to
ber vas a patient, that she includ-
fly,
Home to the height where David ed "Hatikvah" in her repertoire
and asked Imber to write the
dwelt.
words down for her.
* * *

;-rpts

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nk5? wv?

'NTT; iVii ;1 1141

Imber's name was not kept a
secret in Zangwill's "Children of
the Ghetto."-' Chapter XV, "The
Holy Land League," describes the
formation of a ZioniSt society in
London before the days of Herzl,
about 55 years ago. Guedalyah
the greengrocer was named pres-
ident. Melchitsedek Pinchas fail-
ed not only in his aspiration of
becoming treasurer but also in
being named collector. "All felt
the incongruity of hanging money
bags at the saddle-bow of Peg-
asus. Whereupon Pinchas re-lit
his cigar and muttering that they
were all fool-men betook himself
unceremoniously without."
In the course of the discus-
ion, during the organizational
meeting, the student and cigar
commission agent, Joseph Stre-
In the Jewish. State—in the
litski, delivered an impassioned
address in which he said: settlements preceding the proc-
"Poets will sing for us ... journ- lamation of the State of Isreal-
alists will write for us .• . the refrain has been 'changed, the
There are no obstacles—but authorShip being unknoWn, the
ourselves. It is not the heathen. text being as follows:
that keeps us out of our land—
it is the Jews, the rich and
rrptt
prosperous Jews—J e s h'u r u n
grown' fat and sleepy, dream-
ningp nvpri
ing the false dream of assimila-
tion with the people of the
pleasant places in which their
"I./Pr," tq
--13
lines have been cast. Give us
back our country; this alone
will solve the Jewish question."
.w7Vrri
The stirring address • of the
young student in the great
In a free translation, this text
Zangwillian story proceeds to in use in Zion means:
"We have not abandoned our
say:
"And if gold will not buy Our hope
The hope of two thousand years,
land we must try steel. As the
National Poet of Israel, Naphtali
To be a free people in our land
The land of Zion and Jerus-
Herz Imber, has so nobly sung
(here he broke into the Hebrew alem."
* * *
Wacht Am Rhein', of which an
While the music of "Hatikvah'
English version would run thus) :"
Zangwill at this point includ- has on occasions been traced to
ed in "Children of the Ghetto the "Bohemian Symphony" of
Imber's • "The Watch on the Smetana, the Czech composer
Jordan," in its entirety. It is a (1824-1884), it has definitely been
translation which helped to make established by the eminent Jew-
that great song famous. The ish musician, Zwi Mayerowitch
pioneers in Palestine for years (1882-1945), late lecturer on Jew-
(preferred this song—"Mishmar ish liturgic music at Jews College,
HaYarden"—to Hatikvah, and London, England, that "Hatik-
many Palestinians still retain this - vah's" music was composed 'by
:preference. "Mishmar HaYarden" Henry Busato or Russotto, a Sef
' is superior to "Hatikvah" as a ardic Jew, who based his comp-

mown

rkq

wriy

ritr

rIk5

Naphtali Herz Imber, who was
born in ,ZlaczoW, Glicia, in 1856,
member of an ardent Hassidic .
family, first won acclaim in his
native community for a Hebrew
poem which dealt with an Aust-
rian patriotic theme, in 1870, and
the government of Austria re-
warded him with a cash prize.
His wanderings began after the
death of his father. He went to
Vienna and from there proceeded
to Constantinople where he met
the eminent. Christian lover of
Israel, Laurence Oliphant, (1829-
1888), who propagated the restor-
ation of Zion to the Jewish people
nearly 20 years before Dr. Theo-
dor Herzl wrote "The Jewish
State" and organized the World
Zionist Movement and the World
Congress.
Imber and Oliphant—both mys-
tics—became great friends and
together left for Palestine, Imber
serving as Oliphant's Hebrew
secretary. Oliphant bought large
tracts of land near Haifa. He es-
pecially endeared himself with
the Zichron • Yaakov colonists
whom he encouraged in their
hours of stress. Imber lived in
Palestine for six years (1882-
1888). During these years he also
lived among the bedouins and
came to know them well. He
wrote essays and poems -for He-
bre* periodicals and in 1886 pro-
duced his collection of Hebrew

poems under the title "Barkai"
("Morning Star"). This book, ded-
icated to Oliphant, included "Hat-
ikvah."
* * *
Leaving for England after Oli-
phant's death, Imber came to
London and there befriended
Israel Zangwill who contributed
to the eccentric poet's immortal-
ity by transforming him into the
"Melchitsedek Pinchas" of "The
Children of the Ghetto."
He came to the United States
in 1892 and died in dire poverty
in New York City on Oct. 8, 1909.
During his residence in this
country he visited numerous cit-
ies, notably in Chicago, San Fran-
cisco and Los Angeles;

His brothers, still in Zloczow,
published another collection of his
poems in 1902 under the title
"Barkai HeHadash" ("The New
Morning Star"). Unfortunately,
most of the books in this collec-
tion were destroyed by fire. A
third volume of his poems was
published in New York City in
1905, after the Kishineff pogrom.
It is interesting to note that Im-
ber dedicated this volume to the
Einperor of Japan with whom
Russia was at war at the time.
Five years earlier, in 1900, .Im-
ber wrote a booklet prophesying
the Russo-Japanese War and pre-
dicting Japan's triumph. Appar-
ently the anti-Semitism of Czarist
Russia made him an ardent sup-
porter of Japan.
*

American Jew," Cowen recalls:
"I shall never forget a Zionist
meeting at Cooper Institute where
Imber was thrown out because
he was in his cups and had be-
come obstreperous. I had come
late to the meeting and he but-
tonholed me outside: As the meet-
ing was about to close and they
sang 'Hatikvah', he opened the
door and leered through the crack
and said to those about him:
'They may kick me out, but they
must sing my song.' "
Cowen also writes: "It was dif-
ficult to separate Imber from
his bottle, much to the chagrin of
his friends. He was always half-
seas over. Whenever we wished
to find him it was only a ques-
tion of which favorite tavern he
was in. He was welcome at a
number as trade followed him.
Mayer Sulzberger befriended him,
and he soon became absolutely
dependent upon the Judge's boun-
ty. In an effort to redeem him,
Judge Sulzberger insisted on his
going to live in one of the col-
onies in South Jersey. Money
was sent to one of the colonists
with instructions to pay his board
weekly and to give him liberal
sums from time to time for his
liquor and tobacco. While on a
periodic visit to one of the col-
onies I met him upbraiding his
almoner for keeping his money
from him; robbing him, as he said.
He caused much trouble at the
colonies by advising the people
that the committee was keeping
from them the money that Baron
de Hirsch sent for their individ-
ual use. I heard him say it."
We also are told by Cowen
that "In `Bohemia' Imber loved
to tell of his life in Haifa, and
speak of the Oliphants, fanci-
fully, as his `foster parents.' He
spoke of Lady Oliphant as
'mother.' "
*
*
Eccentric, but a great idealist;
"in his cups", but a devoted lover
of Zion; living the life of a semi-
vagabond, but neverthless a great
linguist and scholar—Imber's
name will live among the very
great in Zion and Israel. His song
gave hope to millions and contin-
ues to inspire the People Israel
with the genius that emanates
from the reborn State of Israel.
Only the words of his song were
-known until now from this point
on his name, too, will be listed
affectionately wherever there are
Jews and his face will be rec-
ognized by young and old; for,—
this writer undertakes to pre-
dict—his picture surely will be
among those to be used on the
Postage Stamps of the State of
Israel whose redemption he help-
ed inspire. Dr. Theodor Herzl's
photograph was the first to, be
used on the new postage of Israel;
Imber's surely will follow very
Soon. It will be one of the minor
ways in ( which his people will
honor him, for his genius already
is inerasably recorded in our
history in the strongest conceiv-
able fashion: through his own song
Hatikvah: Hope: Israel's National
Anthem.

After leaving Palestine, Imber
stayed for a while in Egypt and
evinced a deep interest in Mys-
ticism. He became an authority
on esoteric subjects, his pamph-
lets on mysticism drawing wide
attention. Among them were
"The History of the Golden
Calf" and "Keynote to Mystic
Science." He was the translator
of Targum Sheni under the title
"Treasures of Ancient Jerusal-
em" (1898); was the author of
"The Education of the Talmud"_
which was supplemented by "The
Alphabet of Rabbi Akiba", ref-
erence to which appears in the
reports of the U. S. Commission-
er of Education for 1895-6. , •
Possesing great mastery of the
Hebrew language, his rhetorical
phrases in "Hatikvah" helped to
give the song the great merit of
being chanted throughout the
world, wherever there are Jews.
It became the symbol of what the
title denotes: HOPE. Unfortun-
ately, his ability to write was
greatly hampered by his exces-
sive use of liquor. •
*
*
•
Among those who reminisced
in their writings about Imber
were Louis Lipsky and Philip 2—THE JEWISH NEWS
Friday, June 11, 1948
Cowen. In his "Memories of an

Between You and Me

By BORIS SMOLAR

(Copyright. 1948, Jewish Telegraphic Agency, Inc.)

Franklin Hills Club of Detroit Sets Precedent:
Attention United Jewish Appeal: A very interesting amend-
ment to its by-laws has been adopted by the Franklin Hills Country,
Club of Detroit . . . The amendment provides that each summer the
president of the club shall appoint a committee to secure a list of
contributions of each member of the club to the Allied Jewish Cam-
paign ... A copy of this list will be sent to each member of the club
not later than September of each year . . . Such lists will also be
delivered to the nominating committee prior to its submission of
nominees for office . • . Failure of a member to contribute adequately
to the Community Chest of Detroit or to the Allied Jewish Cam-
paign, in relation to his means, will be deemed a reflection on the
good repute of the club . . . It will be the duty of the committee ,to
investigate the adequacy of each, member's contributions to such
charities for the purpose of determining whether there has been
gross inadequacy in such contributions . . . In case of an established
gross inadequacy, the member may be suspended from club priv-
ileges for such a period as the board of the club will determine.
*
Israeli Notes:
Golda Meirson, who succeeded in mobilizing the utmost support
of American Jewry for Israel, is now being considered for the post
of the first ambassador of Israel to Moscow . . . And there are quite
a number of prominent American Jews who would like to become
the first U. S. Minister to Israel . . . No names can be mentioned
at present, since President Truman has not as yet acted on the doc-
ument which Dr. Weizmann left :with him concerning the exchange
of diplomats between the United .. .States and Israel.
The movement in Lebanon for a separate peacf• with • Israel is

,

growing.