Jerusalem and I
by Alon Ben-Meir
Was I meant to be
myself
or the one that was supposed to be
and yet never was?
If I am who I am
and not who I could be--
then where am I? and
where should I be?
With you, Jerusalem, I am
who I was meant to be.
Without you, I am nothing.

When I hear the music of peace
I hear the melodies of Jerusalem.
When I search fpr a place of comfort,
all roads take me to Jerusalem.
And when beauty saturates my soul
I know it is the unique beauty of Jerusalem.
When grief and desolation engulf me,
Jerusalem is there to console me.
When I teach or preach,
I pursue the knowledge of Jerusalem.
And when I reach for God
I reach for the God of Jerusalem.

Usurp or divide Jerusalem again,
and you might as well kill my soul,
dismember my body,
cut off my arms,
behead me;
for I will be nothing.
I will sense nothing.
I will decay and die,
for Jerusalem is I.

I have seen
my brothers and sisters
dying, despairing, asking
Why?

Children cowering in fear and terror
not knowing what struck them,
and why?
Yes, fathers and mothers
died in pain and hopelessness,
wondering, Why?
Why, in the name of God
they ever lived!

Remove your bloody masks,
you hypocritical creatures.
What do you know
about Jerusalem and me?
I lived there a millennium
before you arose
and I will survive millennia
after you fall.
I am the victim.
Suffering, pain and agony,
misery, fear and tyranny,
torture, persecution and death.
But Jerusalem lives,
has lived through the ugly pages
and infamous chapters of history
that you have written and played.

Remove your dirty disguise,
for Jerusalem and I
have a bond,
unshakeable, unstained,
never to be broken;
a bond
stronger than your most ominous arsenals,
mightier than your deadliest weapons;
a bond
profound, pervading and pure.
And thus
never again
would I capitulate one desert,
never again would I abandon or surrender.
For I am Jerusalem
and Jerusalem is I.

Shishlik
Recipe selected from Beyond Milk & Honey,
produced by the Embassy of Israel, Office of Public Affairs, Washington, D. C.

1 lb. tender meat (beef or lamb)
salt and pepper
1 clove garlic, crushed
1 tbsp. oil

Marinate diced meat in garlic and oil mixture for 1/2 hour. Remove and put
meat on skewers. Sprinkle on salt and pepper. Place over charcoal.

The simple method of preparing meat on an open grill goes back to ancient Biblical times. To this day, Israelis tend to prefer their meat prepared in this manner. Shishlik is one of the most popular dishes requested in Jerusalem restaurants.

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