Songs by Eitan Kashtan that touch the broken heart of Israel
Eitan Kashtan describes himself as a grandfather too old for reserve duty, but it’s hard to quantify the impact he has made in Israel since the Oct. 7 invasion and brutal attack by the Hamas terrorist organization.
The day after the massive attack, Kashtan went to the site to see how he could help. His experiences had a profound impact on him, leading him to serve in practical ways. His heart was moved to write songs of lament for his country, which have touched the broken hearts of millions in Israel.
In an interview with ALL ISRAEL NEWS, Kashtan said, “The first week was terrible. I was seeing all sorts of terrible things. The first few days were very messy, we got different calls from people with all sorts of requests and needs, and I was in a car driving from one place to another, taking care of needs like sandwiches and shoes and whatever they asked for.”
In the aftermath of Oct. 7, the fighting was still taking place in Israel as the Jewish state sought to regain control of the areas near the Gaza border. But Kashtan was not afraid.
“As I drove to Sderot I was the only civilian car, I was surrounded by police and soldiers with guns outside their cars while missiles were raining down on us. I could hear all the clashes of the army fighting the terrorists.”
The city was strewn with Hamas vehicles and many Israeli cars, some still with dead bodies inside. He explained the eerie atmosphere and described what he saw.
“Sderot was not evacuated yet and I could see all shutters closed all over the city, but I could see people looking out through the shutters. It hit my heart – how can it be? How can it happen in my own country like this?”
He said, “The scene was terrible, like something you’d see in a movie. From time to time, I had to stop on the side of the road and write these feelings. Writing: 'Oh, there is no life here' and 'Sderot will never recover' and 'Alas for us, everything fell apart.'”
“I left there and left a part of me. I found myself stopping again on the side of the road and writing about the experience; the loss my eyes saw, the smells that filled my nose, the worry that encompassed me," Kashtan continued. I felt the feelings surround me and I wrote, “We will never come back here”. On my way back I saw a few of the survivors of the Nova party. They looked shocked. We didn’t speak but I left for them some boxes with sandwiches before driving away.”
After nearly a week, Kashtan saw a man in Kibbutz Re'im watering the plants of the houses of those who were left.
“When they come back, they will be happy to see their flowers blooming.”
Such thoughts filled Kashtan with a new hope. He got back into his car and wrote: “There is a ray of light, we will overcome everything. Israel will win. The south will prosper for the God of Israel lives and exists!”
Kashtan explained the process leading to the first song he wrote.
“After a while, I looked at the lines written down. The first lines were written with a trembling hand and a broken heart and while I could hear sounds of missiles and alarms. However, the lines after were written to express hope, faith, and security of our confidence in the Rock of Israel, which never changes. God promised to be with us, with his people. Indeed He is “Immanuel” – God with us. Slowly my thoughts turned into rhymes and melodies were added to them. The final result is the song, “Woe to my country.”
From that first day until today, Kashtan has been driving equipment and supplies across the country, coordinated by the ONE FOR ISRAEL ministry, where he works. He estimates that he was driving about 400 km (250 miles) every day to distribute items to those in need. And more songs continue to come to him while he drives.
“Day after day, I traveled this way,“ he said during the interview. “As I traveled back and forth, I wrote. Writing was how I consoled my soul."
The lament ends with a note of hope, a characteristic for which Kashtan has become so well-loved by those he has served and who listen to his music:
Wake up, my country, your God is alive, the Holy One of Israel.
Stand strong and raise your eyes to the Redeemer.
Despair will be overcome by hope.
Resurrection will overcome destruction and sorrow.
May God give courage to His people. Emmanuel
Surely, my city, you will prosper and flourish again!
Surely your sons will return to live within you!
Surely you will see momentum and development again!
Surely our sons will return to shelter, under your shadow?
Despair will be overcome by hope.
Resurrection will overcome destruction and sorrow.
May God give courage to His people. Emmanuel
Kashtan’s music and lyrics have consoled many souls in Israel, as well as his own, with his first song gaining 1.2 million views in Hebrew and another million in another version released with English subtitles.
He recently released another video based on the tragedy of a Christian soldier, Urija Bayer, who enlisted in Israel Defense Forces as a volunteer and fell during the battle against Hamas in Gaza in December.
The new song is dedicated to his mother:
A Bereaved Mother's Prayer - A tribute to the families who paid the highest price for our freedom.
My God, my Savior, hear my prayer, let my cry come to You.
For my days have vanished away in smoke and ashes, I became like a ruined place.
My God, my Savior, my heart is stormed, the sounds of war thunder.
I cried out, "My God, protect my children," that they may return to me safely.
My God, answer me, hear my supplication.My God, Father, please strengthen me.
And suddenly, disaster knocked at my door. Darkness enveloped my soul.
Days passed, hope was lost – "Approved for publication" – that's me!
You didn't err, my God. I don’t know why You took my son from me.
You didn't make a mistake, my God. You didn't abandon Your kindness even as my world fell apart.
My God, answer me, hear my supplicationMy God, Father, please comfort me
Our hope is not lost,
The hope of two thousand years,
To be a free people in our land,
The land of Zion and Jerusalem.
Our hope is not lost,The hope of two thousand years,
For the Messiah to return to our land,
To Zion, to Jerusalem!
And I remember the pain of loss, You know, for You gave Your Son.He sacrificed His soul, as You promised, and lit Your light in my heart.
So, I found comfort, I know, I am not alone, forever I will be by Your side.
For You are the eternal light that overcomes the darkness, my hope is in You, in the Light of God! (Uriya)
Jo Elizabeth has a great interest in politics and cultural developments, studying Social Policy for her first degree and gaining a Masters in Jewish Philosophy from Haifa University, but she loves to write about the Bible and its primary subject, the God of Israel. As a writer, Jo spends her time between the UK and Jerusalem, Israel.
