* Translation by Yehoshua Siskin
It’s possible to describe what happened this month in technical terms: The Israeli singer-songwriter Ishay Ribo broke a record when he appeared in Madison Square Garden in New York. His two performances there, attracting thousands, were sold out.
But it’s also possible to describe what happened on a spiritual level: It’s the month of Elul in the Diaspora and Jews there are eager for contact with an emissary from the land of Israel. It’s a time of drawing closer to God, of gaining clarity, of renewed Jewish pride and identification with Israel, a time of joy, of prayer, of unity.
At these huge gatherings there were not only songs but also words of inspiration from Ribo regarding our present challenges: “I believe — and I think everyone else believes in their heart — that everything the nation of Israel is going through now is not in vain. The pain and the tears that have fallen without end will cause redemption to grow and a new world to flourish. When this happens — soon, with God’s help — we cannot imagine how much good there will be.” These words, too, and not only Ribo’s famous hit songs, were applauded by thousands of Jews. Amen.
