Warm congratulations to our Moshiko on his inclusion in the list of the city’s heroes – retirees of Tel Aviv-Jaffa, the generation that gives back to the city. There, Moshiko appears under the title “A Key Figure in Israeli Dance.”

Moshiko is rich in honors, achievements, certificates, and various forms of recognition. The most notable among them are the Lifetime Achievement Award from the Israeli Artists’ Association (EMI), and recognition of his musical contribution to Israeli society from the Society of Authors, Composers and Music Publishers in Israel (ACUM). These awards bring honor and pride to all of us in the field of Israeli folk dancing.

For decades, Moshiko has hosted leading choreographers and dance leaders such as Eyal Levy, Iris Avner and Edi Sasson, Amnon Shauli, Dudu Barzilay, Chaim Shiryon, Yaron Malichi, Israel Shiker, Meir Shem-Tov, Shlomo Maman, Tamir Scherzer, and others at his monthly dance gathering, which is held regularly at Beit Dani in Tel Aviv.

The evening is led in rotation by Eyal Karabelnik, Haim Tzemach, Haim Strikberger, Michal Bachar, and others. The repertoire is unique, and the audience is diverse and friendly – enthusiastic lovers of Israeli folk dance. The dance sessions and events in which Moshiko participates are produced by his beloved wife, Michal Yitzhak-Halevy.

Recently, Moshiko was invited to Beit Dani as a guest of honor, recognized as someone who shaped and influenced the Hatikva neighborhood of Tel Aviv. On that evening, Moshiko spoke about himself and even read a poem he had written for the occasion: “The Hatikva Neighborhood Anthem.”

Following the publication of two books that are also selling well on Amazon – the first, a fascinating autobiography, “Dancing Against the Flow,” and the second, “Beloved Country,” an album of photographs, songs, melodies, and musical notation – Moshiko is now preparing to publish his third book.

While the first book includes three sections—within the family circle, dance steps, and impressions from tours around the world—and features photographs that accompany the history of one man across the globe and the society with which he spent his time, the second book lives up to its name: a large and richly produced volume created with the assistance of Allen F. King, one of the prominent figures in Israeli folk dance circles in California.

The musical notation was written by Itamar Argov and Hagai Rehavia – two brilliant musicians. One needs to see the notation pages in the book to truly appreciate the diligent work they invested.

Both books, by the way, were published in Hebrew and in English.

The third book will include selections from Moshiko’s personal diary – interviews, articles, opinions, and commentary.

We met a day after the return of the last hostage who had been murdered while in enemy captivity, and I asked Moshiko how he was doing. “Now that the last of the hostages has returned – Staff Sergeant Ran Gvili z”l, we all feel much better. I too, thank God, am feeling well.”

As our conversation unfolded, Moshiko shared with me a song he had written, “LiYrushalaim Sheli – To My Jerusalem.” Overcome with emotion, he could hardly find all the words he wanted to express the special connection he feels to the song.

I read the poem, and what began as a look at its structure and an initial reading easily evolved into a deeper reading – analysis and interpretation.

Given the connection that each of us has to the Holy City – Jews and non-Jews alike – I find that lovers of poetry may greatly enjoy taking part in the experience of reading and understanding the poem.

לִירוּשָׁלַיִם שֶׁלִּי מלים ולחן: משה (מושיקו) יצחק-הלוי   ניקוד, תעתיק ותרגום: בני לוי     לִירוּשָׁלַיִם שֶׁלִּי                                      לִירוּשָׁלַיִם שֶׁלִּי אֶשָּׂא תְּפִלָּה לִירוּשָׁלַיִם לִבִּי נוֹשֵׂא עֶרְגָּה קְדֻשָּׁתֵךְ בְּיֹפִי עֲטוּפָה מֵרֹאשׁ מִקֶּדֶם נְסוּכָה   יְרוּשָׁלַיִם אַתְּ בְּתוֹךְ נַפְשִׁי יְרוּשָׁלַיִם אַתְּ בְּנִשְׁמָתִי עֵינֵי עוֹלָם אֵלַיִךְ נְשׂוּאוֹת עַל חוֹמֹתַיִךְ דּוֹלְקוֹת הַמַּשּׂוּאוֹת   כָּל הֶעָרִים הַגְּדוֹלוֹת שֶׁבַּתֵּבֵל קַדּוֹת אַפַּיִם, אַפַּיִם לִכְבוֹדֵךְ כִּי אַתְּ מָשׂוֹשׂ, מָשׂוֹשׂ לְעָרַיִךְ וּמִי יִתְּנֵנִי אֶשַּׁק אֲבָנַיִךְ   יְרוּשָׁלַיִם אַתְּ לֵב הָעוֹלָם מַאֲמִינַיִךְ סוֹגְדִים לָךְ כֻּלָּם מֵעַל רֹאשֵׁךְ זוֹהֶרֶת הַחַמָּה יְרוּשָׁלַיִם אַתְּ לִי הַנֶּחָמָה יְרוּשָׁלַיִם שֶׁלִּי הָאֲהוּבָה     בִּירוּשָׁלַיִם כָּל אֶבֶן תְּסַפֵּר סִפּוּר חַיַּיִךְ הַמְּיֻסָּר הַמְּטַלְטֵל וְאַתְּ עוֹמֶדֶת זְקוּפָה בְּדוּמִיָּה עַיִן צוֹחֶקֶת וְעַיִן בּוֹכִיָּה   יְרוּשָׁלַיִם אַתְּ סוֹד הַחַיִּים אֶזְכֹּר לָנֶצַח זִכְרוֹנוֹת נְצוּרִים תָּמִיד אֶרְאֶה אֶת פָּנַיִךְ כַּלָּה וְלִכְבוֹדֵךְ אַמַלֵּל שִׁיר וּתְפִלָּה   יְרוּשָׁלַיִם אֶת שְׁמֵךְ אֶקְרָא בְּקוֹל בְּכָל יוֹם קֹדֶשׁ וּבְיוֹם שֶׁל חֹל בְּלֵב גֵּאֶה וּלְלֹא מוֹרָא יְרוּשָׁלַיִם שֶׁלִּי אַתְּ הַגְּבִירָה   יְרוּשָׁלַיִם אַתְּ מַלְכַּת הָעוֹלָם מְהַלְּלַיִךְ יָשׁוּבוּ כֻּלָּם לַחֲסוֹת בְּצֵל קוֹרָתֵךְ וְלִנְשֹׁם אֶת רוּחַ  נִשְׁמָתֵךְ

LiYrushalayim Sheli Lyrics and Music: Moshiko Yitzchak-Halevy   Vocalization, Transliteration and Translation: Benny Levy LiYrushalayim Sheli   LiYrushalayim sheli esa tefillah LiYrushalayim libbi nose ergah Kedushatekh beyofi atufah Merosh mikedem nesukhah   Yerushalayim at betokh nafshi Yerushalayim at benishmati Einei olam elayikh nesu’ot Al chomotayikh dolkot hamasu’ot   Kol he’arim ha-gedolot she-ba-tevel Kadot appayim, appayim likhvodekh Ki at masos, masos le-‘arayikh U-mi yitneni eshak avanayikh   Yerushalayim at lev ha-olam Ma’aminayikh sogdim lakh kulam Me‘al rosheikh zoheret ha-chamah Yerushalayim at li ha-nechamah (the second time:) Yerushalayim sheli ha-ahuvah   Birushalayim kol even tesaper Sipur chayayikh ha-meyussar ha-metaltel Ve’at omedet zekufah be-dumiyah Ayin tsocheket ve-ayin bokhiyah   Yerushalayim at sod ha-chayim Ezkor la-netzach zikhronot netsurim Tamid er’eh et panayikh kallah Ve-likhvodekh amallel shir u-tefillah   Yerushalayim et shmekh ekra be-kol Be-khol yom kodesh u-ve-yom shel chol Be-lev ge’eh u-lelo mora Yerushalayim sheli at ha-gevirah   Yerushalayim at malkat ha-olam Mehalelayikh yashuvu kulam Lachasot be-tzel koratekh Ve-linshom et ruacḥ nishmatekh

 

To My Jerusalem

To my Jerusalem I lift a prayer
For Jerusalem my heart carries longing
Your holiness is wrapped in beauty
An ancient radiance resting upon you since the beginning

 

Jerusalem, you are within my soul
Jerusalem, you are in my spirit
The eyes of the world are lifted toward you
On your walls the torches burn brightly

 

All the great cities of the world
Bow their faces, bow their faces before your honor
For you are the joy, the joy of your cities
And who will grant me the chance to kiss your stones

 

Jerusalem, you are the heart of the world
All who believe in you worship you
Above your head the sun shines brightly
Jerusalem, you are my comfort
My beloved Jerusalem

 

In Jerusalem every stone will tell
The tortured and distressed story of your life
Yet you stand tall in silence
One eye laughing and one eye crying

 

Jerusalem, you are the secret of life
Forever I will remember your guarded memories
I will always see your face as a bride
And in your honor I will utter song and prayer

 

Jerusalem, I will call your name aloud
Every holy day and every weekday
With a proud heart and without fear
My Jerusalem, you are the noble lady

 

Jerusalem, you are the queen of the world
All who praise you shall return
To find refuge in the shade of your roof
And to breathe the spirit of your soul

About the Song/Poem “LiYrushalayim Sheli – To My Jerusalem”

Structure of the Song

The song is constructed as a personal-national hymn of love to Jerusalem. The speaker addresses the city in the feminine second person throughout, blending the language of prayer, the language of love, and a lofty style.

The song is composed of eight short stanzas – the fourth of which is repeated with a different final line. Each stanza functions as an independent unit of meaning, yet also as a step in an intensifying emotional-spiritual progression. Every stanza contains an inner refrain, a kind of emotional mantra: Jerusalem, you are…

The song shows a clear thematic development: prayer and longing; universal holiness; Jerusalem’s superiority over other world cities; Jerusalem as the center of the universe and a source of comfort; the historical-tragic Jerusalem; Jerusalem as a secret and as a bride; and Jerusalem as a lady and queen of the world.

The hymn-like structure and repetition create a sense of religious ritual and a prayerful melody. The experience of the song resembles Hasidic-liturgical poetry: emotion, rhythm, repetition, and originality expressed in elevated language.

Meter, Rhythm, and Rhyme

The song is not written in a fixed meter, as is common in modern Hebrew and liturgical poetry. However, it uses parallel and symmetrical phrases such as: Jerusalem, you are within my soul / Jerusalem, you are within my spirit.

In addition, the song contains pairs of similar sounds that create soft, internal rhyme: tefillah – erga (prayer – longing), atufah – nesukhah (wrapped – anointed), nafshi – nishmati (my soul – my spirit), dolkot – nesu’ot (burning – uplifted), bekol -shel cḥol (aloud – on weekdays).

Sometimes the rhyme is assonant – based on sound similarity – and often built on the vowel patterns ״ah״ and ״eh״, which are typical of liturgical poetry. The effect is a musical, prayer-like flow that feels gentle rather than heavy.

Language and Style

The language of the poem is biblical-liturgical: I shall lift a prayer, anointed, Your holiness, your walls, your believers, shining, noble lady, queen of the world – a rich, exalted vocabulary blending Bible and Midrash.

It also includes intimate emotional expressions: my Jerusalem, who will grant me to kiss your stones, you are my comfort, Jerusalem, your face is like that of a bride – the city becomes a beloved, almost romantic human figure.

Additionally, the poem uses the language of prayer: an address that sounds like a conversation with God yet is directed toward the city; a synthesis of holiness and desire.

Central Imagery and Metaphors

The city is described as a living, feminine, exalted, many-faceted being. Examples include Jerusalem as a woman: bride, comfort, beloved, noble lady, and queen of the world. The speaker creates a multidimensional female figure – princess, mother, beloved, sacred presence, sovereign.

Jerusalem appears as a symbol of holiness: Your holiness wrapped in beauty; above your head the sun glows; the eyes of the world are lifted toward you – Jerusalem is portrayed as the spiritual-moral center of humanity.

The historical-tragic Jerusalem also emerges in lines such as: Every stone will tell the story of your turbulent, tormented life; one eye laughing and one eye crying – a classic image of Jerusalem across generations: joy alongside destruction.

Jerusalem as a secret and a wellspring of life appears as: You are the secret of life; to breathe the spirit of your soul – the city is a source of life, soul, divine mystery.

Jerusalem as the center of the world: heart of the world; the eyes of the world are lifted toward you; queen of the

world – imagery with universal, not merely Jewish, resonance.

Symbols and Connotations

Jewish-religious holiness: prayer, holiness, believers, eternity, soul – all of these evoke generations of Jewish prayers such as If I forget thee, O Jerusalem, Jerusalem of Gold, Have mercy on Zion, and many others.

Zionism and national meaning: the yearning to kiss the stones of the city hints at centuries of Jewish longing, and the sense of return and comfort in her presence. The phrase heart of the world reinforces Jerusalem as a center of identity.

Spiritual universality: eyes of the world, all the great cities of the earth, all your believers bow before you – Jerusalem as a place uniting religions and cultures.

The city as a complex female figure: compassion, sorrow, joy, beauty, and royalty. This poetic discourse aligns with the traditional imagery of Jerusalem as mother, bride, and queen.

The song serves as a hymn of praise, a prayer, an expression of love, and a declaration of spiritual closeness to the city of Jerusalem.

The speaker perceives Jerusalem as:

1. A personal object of love – “Yerushalayim Sheli – My Jerusalem.”
2. The moral and spiritual center of the universe – “The heart of the world.”
3. A sacred place endowed with an eternal aura – “Your holiness is wrapped in beauty.”
4. A historical symbol of pain and renewal – “One laughing eye and one weeping eye.”
5. A source of hope and comfort – “You are my consolation.”
6. A universal monarchy – “Queen of the world.”

The song moves between the personal and the collective, between earthly love and spiritual awe, and between historical suffering and future hope.

Prominent characteristics of contemporary Hebrew poetry reflected in this work include a return to biblical and liturgical language, the use of the city-as-woman allegory, a blending of the sacred and the secular, a personal address to the city as a beloved and intimate figure, and an emphasis on eternity and national identity expressed through lyrical language.

Summary

LiYrushalayim Sheli – To My Jerusalem is a modern piyyut, rich in elevated language – a profound tribute to Jerusalem.

Moshiko, the poet, expresses emotional, religious, historical, and national attachment to a city portrayed as a multifaceted female figure – bride, queen, mother, beloved, sovereign.

The power of the song lies in its use of highly connotative liturgical language, strong imagery drawn from Jewish tradition, the blending of intimate emotion with a universal sense of holiness, and the internal melody that gives the poem the character of a prayer rather than merely a song.

Moshiko’s Response:

Special thanks to Benny Levy, an English and Literature teacher, who vocalized, translated, analyzed, and interpreted my song “To My Jerusalem.”

Reading the commentary is an experience in itself – I read it, felt encouraged, and was filled with happiness.

I was deeply impressed, moved, and delighted by the depth of the analysis, the reading comprehension, and the rich vocabulary.

With appreciation and heartfelt sincerity,

Moshe Yitzhak-Halevy (Moshiko)