A Song I am Loving: Our Life in Israel is Berries by Hanan ben Ari

A Song I am Loving: Our Life in Israel is Berries by Hanan ben Ari

My kids (along with tons of other religious kids here) have been singing Hanan ben Ari’s new homage to Israeli life pretty much non-stop. In less than 2 months it’s reached a million views on YouTube, and, more importantly, during Adar it’s the song they play between classes at my kids’ school:) The song’s title means literally “Our life is berries,”– loosely translated “Our life in Israel is the best.”

I’ve been living in Israel 23 years, and the ending of this song still brings tears to my eyes. Still can’t get over how much I love this place. Thank You, thank You, thank You Hashem for the privilege of living and raising my family in Israel!

One note about the video: in the corner of the video there is a woman translating the song into sign language. This is supposed to be a parody of Israeli TV, where many shows are accompanied by a sign language translator.

Lyrics

We have no right at all to complain
Everything is incredible, thank G-d!
Our life in Israel is the best

Hours in line at the post office, it’s hard to finish a degree here
The situation with the youth, it’s hard to sing like Zohar [Argov, a famous singer]
To wake up in the morning, to get into shape
Gas is expensive again. And the muse? Is under curfew.
Corruption every other week, a terror attack every other day
Property tax is in the sky, and the driving test is in Jerusalem.
When the landlord is in debt, and the boss is difficult…
Not everything is ferrero rocher [fancy chocolate]

We have no right to complain
Everything is incredible, thank G-d!
Our life in Israel is the best

So the child wakes up at night, and the wife doesn’t have enough
She buys whatever she wants, it’s hard to pull ourselves upward.
It’s hard to finish the month. It’s hard to cleave to holiness.
An entire life without roots, there’s no Arak and I’m thirsty.
The battery is running out, the ceiling is leaking
The country steals, and the government? Is cross-eyed…

The heavy traffic. It’s hard with the taxes
And we’re all apathetic

So we have no right to complain
Everything is incredible, thank G-d!
Our life in Israel is the best

Good, we opened up the sewer
We complained enough, were ungrateful
Now let’s go back, to the foundation, it’s time to say thank You.
Thank You for the spirit, that I have no time to rest.
Thank You for Shabbat, for two sons and a daughter
Thank You for all the beauty, for the right to see Messi [famous soccer player]
For the spiritual fixing, for the essence
Thank You for the childhood.
Thank You for everything You created.

We have no right to complain
Everything is incredible, thank G-d!
Our life in Israel is the best

החיים שלנו תותים
אין לנו זכות בכלל להתלונן
הכל טפו חמסה וברוך ה’ כי:
החיים שלנו תותים!

שעות של תור בדואר, קשה לגמור פה תואר
והמצב בנוער, קשה לשיר כמו זוהר…
להתעורר בבוקר, להכנס לכושר
הדלק שוב ביוקר, והמוזה? היא בעוצר.
שחיתות בכל שבועיים, פיגוע כל יומיים
הארנונה בשמיים, והטסט בירושלים…
כשבעל הבית נושה, וגם הבוס נוקשה
אז הפכתי למורשה, לא הכל פררו רושה.

אבל אין לנו זכות בכלל להתלונן…

הילד קם בלילה, והאשה לא די לה
קונה כל מה שבא לה, קשה לשאוף למעלה
קשה לסגור ת’חודש, קשה לדבוק בקודש
חיים שלמים בלי שורש, אין עראק ויש יובש
הסוללה אוזלת, והתקרה נוזלת
המדינה גוזלת, והממשלה? פוזלת
שוטף פלוס שישים, העומס בכבישים
קשה עם המיסים, וכולנו אדישים

אז אין לנו זכות בכלל להתלונן…

טוב פתחנו פה ג’ורה
קיטרנו מספיק, כפינו טובה
עכשיו נחזור אחורה, אל הבסיס, זמן לומר תודה
תודה על הרוח, שאין לי זמן לנוח
תודה על השבת, על שני בנים ובת
תודה על כל היופי, על הזכות לראות את מסי
על התיקון, על המהות
תודה על הילדות
[תודה על כל מה שבראת!]

אין לנו זכות בכלל להתלונן…

7 comments

  1. שאלו שלום ירושלם ישליו אהביך

  2. LOVE IT! Thanks for sharing 🙂

  3. Love the Israeli music links- please keep posting!! Appreciate the translations too 🙂

  4. AMAZING SONG! Thanks for sharing and Purim Sameach to all the Jewish moms and their families.
    Nechama

  5. Not sure about this song. I think is is meant to be ironic. There are so many complaints at the beginning with the chorus saying everything is wonderful. I feel there is an undercurrent that actually it is not true to say that everything is wonderful when there are SO many things hard and problematic in this country. Even in the last short verse when he starts to say “thank you”, he adds in “thanks for seeing Messi” – hardly on the same level of importance as spiritual fixing or childhood. I think the song reflects the dissonance and struggle in living in Israel – there are so many struggles but we all keep saying “Hamsa ve Baruch Hashem” [the chorus sounds like flippant pleasantries to paper over the difficulties] – as though we are accepting that its meant to be like this. I am surprised that schools are playing this. I think its alot deeper and relays alot of negativity.

    • Also he repeatedly says “we have not right to complain” – I think this is a projection onto the leaders of our communities who say “don’t complain” we are so lucky, when he in facts lists so many reasons to complain – many of which are legitimate.

      • Glad I wasn’t the only one feeling the negative undercurrent to this song. I don’t find it inspiring or uplifting….
        Glad that you find life in Israel – Chana – more than you could have imagined. But I agree with Sarah that he is poking fun and not singing praises.

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