When I heard the song “We are Home” when it first came out 5 years ago, it became one of my most played songs on iTunes. I like music that helps me connect to my soul and values in life and this song instantly became dear to me. The video especially was so moving, to see Jews all returning at different stages of their lives.
I asked Kippalive to share a few words about what the song means to them. Here is what I received!
Rafi Sandler:
Pretty early on in the Kippalive journey we came to the understanding that what gets the strongest reaction from our listeners is when we sing about something meaningful to us personally. We then decided to create a piece that spoke about one of the core values of Jewish tradition - Israel. From the outside it seems like all of our singers are pretty similar with an identical connection to Israel. Through our song we wanted to share this message - YES we are all deeply connected to our homeland BUT our journeys have been different.
The first verse is sung by guys who bravely Made Aliyah on their own.
The second verse is sung by guys who made Aliyah with their families at a young age.
And the last verse by Israeli born members. Some to Olim Families and others to Israeli families (6 generations in Israel!).
We sing the verses all together cause now that we are all here we are all one nation, one voice if you will. WE ARE HOME!
David Weingarden:
I feel a very strong connection to the song "We Are Home" because of my family's aliyah in 1991. As the video shows, I was born in Santa Barbara, California, which is a beautiful city and where we had a wonderful life. But something was missing, as we were one of the few observant Jewish families there. My parents brought us to Israel because they wanted to raise my siblings and me in the Jewish homeland, where we would grow up knowing and feeling that we were actually part of something "big", part of the nation of Israel and its long and rich history.
Also, all four of my grandparents survived the Shoah. Throughout those hellish and horrific years, they could never have dreamed that a Jewish homeland would be established only 3 years later and that they, their children, grandchildren and great grandchildren would be living in it and being part of its continuing history. Am Yisrael chai!
Natan Gropper:
One of the gifts of growing up in a home of Olim, is that you do not take for granted anything in Israel. My parents never cease to marvel at this miracle called the state of Israel, a home for the Jewish people. For those who choose to live in it, and for those who do not. Either way- it will forever remain the home of our nation. For nearly 2000 years of exile, we never lost faith, we never ceased praying and believing that we would once again return to our home, the land of Israel. "We are Home".