I Am From…

A poem by Etan Gabay

I am from a place where most people would do anything to protect their home.
A fleeing place for innocent people to run away from the back whipping intimidation of Anti-Semitism happening in other countries.
A place where heartless terrorists kill many innocent people each and every day.
And through all that misery is a place of happiness and joy.

Where my dad and his siblings grew up
And were my grandparents grew old
Where they all went to war to protect their country
And succeeded to live
A place where tourists crawl the streets hunting down something to do
Where surfers rule the waves and conquer the tides
A place of high religion where there is a temple on every block
And an innate talent of soccer and basketball roams the hills and deserts

This is where my joy is released
The one true place that is grand
My distant connection to spirit,
Israel the holy land
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Etan Gabay, 11, is a student at the Bi Cultural Day School in Stamford. He is the son of Julie and Yori Gabay, and the brother of Oren and Shira.
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KOLOT is a feature of the Jewish Ledger in which readers are invited to submit original work on a topic of their choosing.  Inquiries and/or submissions should be sent to editorial@jewishledger.com