November 29, 1947

Millions of Jews
The whole world over
Hold their collective breath
Huddled around their radios
Straining to hear
The latest bit of news
Hoping against hope
That the 20th century
The bloodiest of them all
Still might hold
The seeds of promise
For a tired people
An ancient people
A wounded people
Fresh from the killing fields of Europe.
The United Nations meets to decide the fate of the Jews!
For or against partition of Palestine and the Yeshuv!
UN General Assembly Resolution 181.
Roll call!
Australia votes yes!
Egypt votes no!
America votes yes!
Jordan votes no!
Canada votes yes!
Syria votes no!
Argentina abstains!
Chile abstains!
United Kingdom abstains!
A million Jewish hearts beat as one!
Then, suddenly, the final vote tally is taken!
Thirty three for, thirteen against, ten abstain!
Like a thunderclap from the heavens!
Partition wins!
There are to be two states!
One Jewish, one Arab!
Hope is reborn!
The Jewish People again have a homeland at last!
After two thousand years of exile!
A Jewish homeland at last!
Hope!
Such a beautiful magnificent word!
Hope renewed!
Hope restored!
Hope rekindled!
With the simple stroke of a pen!
Hope, Hatikvah, again triumphs over despair!
No more need Jewish children
Tremble and shake in their beds
Homeless no more!
Stateless no more!
Powerless no more!
Cheering and crying
Dancing in the streets of Tel Aviv!
The world has changed
The tide has shifted!
From out of the ashes of Auschwitz
The Jewish Phoenix has arisen!
Resurrection! Redemption!
Shout it from the roof tops of Jerusalem and Haifa!
Shout it from the valleys of Galilee
And the orange groves of Jaffa!
Shout it from the mountaintops of Mt. Sinai and Mt. Hermon!
Am Chai Yisroel!
The Jewish People live!

By Jack Henry Markowitz © 2010