Podcast: History of Am Yisrael Chai

The slogan Am Yisrael Chai — the Nation of Israel Lives — has returned to public consciousness in recent days due to the current war in Israel with Hamas controlled Gaza. This phrase has its roots in the Torah. It was recited by Rabbi Leslie Hardman at the Bergen Belson concentration camp in 1945, heard by Soviet Jews during the visit of Golda Meir in 1948, turned into a song by Shlomo Carlebach for the Student Struggle for Soviet Jewry in 1965 and sung at the Western Wall in Jerusalem in 1967. Below is a collection of Am Yisrael Chai signs on the streets of Jerusalem from October 2023.NOTES:Golda Meir biography by Meron MedziniAm Yisroel Chai origin by Jacob BirnbaumLeslie HardmanThe Meaning of Am Yisrael ChaiAm Yisrael Chai - A Slogan or a Prayer? Get full access to Jewish History Moment podcast with Ben Bresky at benbresky.substack.com/subscribe