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Woe to my Country | Hebrew music video Description Woe to my Country | Hebrew music video Listen on Spotify: Behind the Music: The morning of October seventh, a Saturday morning, changed our lives forever. The brutal and murderous attack against Israel, our sovereign state, left many (myself included) feeling shocked, heart-broken and deeply disturbed. The very next morning we were already thinking of ways to help, even just small ways. Since I’m not a reservist anymore (they wouldn't take an old man who has nine grandkids…), I realized that the most efficient way to help was to get into my car and take whatever could be collected to soldiers and civilians wherever the need was, including close to the front of the battle. And like many of my fellow countrymen, I began doing all that I could to help. To that end, we at the Bible College rented a car and started locating and purchasing the necessary equipment to deliver, delivering to both civilians and soldiers. On the ninth of October, Monday, I found myself driving to the south. The atmosphere was hard as roads were completely empty, except for vehicles of the security forces. No one was walking around in the south. The windows of the military and police vehicles were open with protruding rifle barrels. Every few minutes sirens and explosions were heard, and from time to time gun shots, evidence of encounters between the Israeli soldiers and the Hamas terrorists, who were still roaming the area. The feeling was difficult. My soul experienced difficulty and pain. When I entered Sderot, it looked like a ghost town, although all of its inhabitants were still there. I looked at the houses and could see people looking through the closed shutters. The scene was terrible, like something you’d see in a movie. From time to time, I had to stop on the side of the road and write down those feelings. Writing, “Oh, there is no life here,” “Sderot will never recover”; “Alas for us, everything fell apart”. Continuing on to Kibbutz Reim, I witnessed the devastation. The kibbutz was closed, but my eyes were able to see more than was necessary. I left there and left a part of me there. I found myself stopping again on the side of the road and writing about my experience; the loss my eyes had seen, the smells that filled my nose, the worry that encompassed me. Emotions overwhelmed me and I wrote, “We will never come back here”. On my way back, I saw a few of the survivors of the Nova party. They looked shocked. We didn’t speak but I left for them some boxes with sandwiches before driving away. Day after day, I traveled this way. And as I traveled back and forth, I wrote. Writing was how I consoled my soul, which was troubled and plagued by terrible pain. Doubts about the future of the south and the future of the country was flooding my mind. Rocket barrages towards the south continued, the sounds of clashes did not go away and the agony prompted questions, “What will happen to us? Will the villages of the south ever return to prosperity and flourishing ?“ After almost a week of doing this, I met a man. On his shirt were the words, “Kibbutz Reim”. He told me that he was in the kibbutz and every day he watered the plants in the houses of those who had left. He told me, “When they come back, they will be happy to see their flowers blooming.” I felt the fullness of hope. I got in the car and wrote, “There is a ray of light, we will overcome it all. Israel will prevail. The south will prosper again, for the God of Israel lives and exists!” After a while, I looked at the lines I had written. The first lines were written with a shaking hand and a broken heart and while I could still hear the sounds of rockets and sirens. However, the lines written written later expressed hope, faith, and security of our confidence in the Rock of Israel, Who never changes. God promised to be with us, with his people. Indeed He is the “Immanuel” – God with us. Slowly, my thoughts turned into rhymes, and melodies were added to them. The final result was the song, “Woe to my country.” I would like to thank, with my deepest appreciation, all of my partners who encouraged me, supported me, enlightened my perspective. This song has been a journey of my heart and an outpouring of my soul. Thus, I owe a debt of gratitude to all those who helped bring this project to completion. Most importantly, I would like to thank God, again, for His unreserved faithfulness to me, to His people, to His promises and to this land. Eitan Kashtan Credits: Lyrics and Music: Eitan Kashtan Arrangement: Gal Padeh Singing: Yuval Vahav Voices: Gal Padeh, Yuval Vahav Classic, Acoustic and Electric Guitar: Avi Singolda Bass Guitar: Avi Ifrach Strings: Maria's Quartet Recording and Mix: Gal Padeh – Studio 39 Mastering: Jonathan Danino
