Zion Over the Rainbow

Listed as the number one song of the 20th century, Somewhere Over the Rainbow is especially meaningful to the Jewish people.  Once one understands its creation in context, you’ll gain a new appreciation for this iconic tune.  Written in 1938 by Jewish songwriters Harold Arlen and Yip Harburg, there’s no denying the dark clouds that inspired their words.  The song was written the same year as the dreaded Kristallnacht, knowing the looming danger facing their relatives in Europe. For many their song became a plea to return to their Jewish homeland.

That longing for home is ancient in the Jewish experience and psyche.  Bygone generations of displaced Jews sang of a return to Zion in “By the rivers of Babylon”. 2500 years later, this time by the rivers of the Rhine in 1930s Germany.  The prayer never changed: redemption through a return to Zion.

Exiled from our promised home, we endured pogroms, expulsions, genocides and more. We were resilient, yes—but we were also passive. History happened to us. As always the strangers in a strange land, we couldn't properly defend ourselves. We could only focus on surviving another generation.  Mercifully, after the unthinkable under the Nazi's, our prayers to come home were finally answered.

The Lion in Wizard of Oz sought courage, only to discover he had it all along. The Lion of Judah represents that same awakening—we always possessed strength, but Zion is the heart that gives us the power to claim it, to use it, to fight for our people and our dignity.

Imagine the desperation of these past generations. If only they had something akin to the ruby slippers of this story; just a simple click of the heels could transport you over the rainbow and return home. The rainbow, a symbol of HaShem’s covenant to Noah following the great flood.

It is remarkable that just a decade later after the composition of this song, and after the Jewish people’s worst fears were realized; finally “dreams that you dare to dream really do come true”.  There is indeed no place like home—and for the Jewish people, that home is Israel. No longer passive victims, we are finally agents of our own destiny.

This shirt is a celebration of that transformation. We yearned for over thousands of years. We finally came home, and we're never leaving.

For a deeper look at the songs history and the general background of Jewish immigrants impact on pop-culture, check out Simcha Jacobovici's piece in The Times of Israel.

To grasp the emotional power this song held for people alive during these dark times, here's a deeply moving video of a holocaust survivor going over the lyrics.