Am Yisrael Chai: Poems, Prayers, and Essays
94 Authors, One Heart - United in Solidarity with Israel
for Kedoshei Yisrael, our fallen ones, whose blessed memories will never fade.
for Am Yisrael, the Jewish People, our family all over the world.
for Medinat Yisrael, the State of Israel, our home, now and forever.
Am Yisrael Chai is an emergency response anthology of voices from all over the world, grieving and writhing from the horrors perpetrated upon the State of Israel on Simchat Torah 5784, October 7, 2023. Unfathomably terrible images are now forever emblazoned in our eyes, spread through social media where children have seen them as well. The entire Jewish world is in trauma. This was not Poland in 1942. It was 9 days ago in the State of Israel. We bear witness. We must. This is a book of testimony and recollection, response and prayer. That’s why the collection bears the title Am Yisrael Chai. This is our life – and we share it, recommitting to life itself, fighting for it, praying for it.
In the immediate aftermath of trauma, one cannot be expected to be thoughtful, mindful, creative. And yet you hold a collection of soulful and eloquent expressions of pain and Global Jewish Solidarity make the choice of title for this collection even more clear, and emphatic: Am Yisrael Chai!
As of the moment this manuscript went to print, a mere 9 days after the atrocity that struck our people in the heart, UJA-Federation of New York has raised over 85 million dollars from donors in support of our Emergency Israel Campaign, and we have already allocated 22 million of it to organizations on the ground in Israel who are supporting those in harm’s way, those in dire need, and those who have lost family members. We are there in a profound way, to help our People in this dark time. All proceeds from this book project will support UJA-Federation of NY’s Emergency Israel Campaign.
We will never bring back those whose lives we have lost. There are too many new stars in the sky. But we lift up our eyes to Heaven and we will remember them as a blessing. We will, as our hearts regain strength, heal that which has been broken. But we will never, not ever, be the same.
May this collection be of real support to our sisters and brothers, our parents, our grandparents, and most of all - our children.
May the Holy One bless Medinat Yisrael, the State of Israel, Reisheet Tz’michat Ge’ulateinu, the beginning of the flourishing of our redemption.
May our family see better days very, very soon.
Am Yisrael Chai!
