Last Updated on November 22, 2021
Israel’s National Anthem – HaTikvah (The Hope)
Hebrew: המנון המדינה
Israel’s national anthem ‘Hatikva’ (Eng: The Hope) was written in 1886 by Naphtali Herz Imber, an English poet originally from Bohemia. Imber wrote the first version of the poem in 1877. The anthem’s theme reflects the 2000-year-old hope of the Jews of returning to the Land of Israel and restoring it, and reclaiming it as a sovereign nation. The melody was written by Samuel Cohen, an immigrant from Moldavia.
When the State of Israel was established in 1948, Hatikvah was unofficially proclaimed the national anthem. However, it did not officially become the national anthem until November 2004 in an amendment to the Flag and Coat-of-Arms Law.
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The Lyrics
Hebrew |
Transliteration | English |
כל עוד בלבב פנימה
נפש יהודי הומייה ולפאתי מזרח קדימה עין לציון צופיה עוד לא אבדה תקוותינו התקווה בת שנות אלפיים להיות עם חופשי בארצנו ארץ ציון וירושלים |
Kol od ba’le’vav p’nima,
Nefesh yehudi ho’miyah. U’lefa-atei mizrach kadimah, Ayin le’Tziyyon tzofiyah. Od lo avda tikva-teinu, Ha’tikvah bat sh’not al-payim Lih-yot am chofshi b’ar-tzeinu Eretz Tziyyon v’Yerushalayim. |
As long as within our hearts The Jewish soul sings, As long as forward to the East To Zion, looks the eye – Our hope is not yet lost, It is two thousand years old, To be a free people in our land The land of Zion and Jerusalem. |