“Stand up! Stand up, children, and sing!
Today we have a country of our own.
Medinat Yisrael is born.
Stand up! Stand up, children, and sing
The Hatikvah!”
There and then, no matter when,
There and then I said, right then
“I would stand up. I would go!
I would stand up and go
To Medinat Yisrael.”
My mother said, “Too dangerous,
With your three sons courageous.
Why not Manchester, a religious kehilla?”
Then terrorists blew up Manchester’s town center.
“Mother,” I said, “My husband agrees that
We must stand up for our Land, and go!”
Leo Dee, Rabbi, brilliant raconteur,
Indeed said, “Yes! We will stand up and go!”
Dear wife Lucy, mother of five, concurred,
“It’s the place, for our kids;
We’ll stand up, and go!”
They left London’s cozy comforts
Work and schools and warm encounters.
“It’s Medinat Yisrael’s
Values we respect and want,
It’s for those we stand. Let’s go!”
They settled in Efrat nine years ago.
Palestinians nearby worked on their home
When day was done, they’d all sit and chat,
Not a worry in the world. Trust completely.
Decent folk, mostly, Leo said recently.
Bitter truth exploded onto our Leo -
Daughters Maia, Rina murdered.
Kalashnikovs fired.
“What shall I tell Lucy?”
Burst forth from our hero.
Tore our guts. It’s our family.
Leo implored, “How do I tell her now?
How now shall I say, ‘Stand up and let’s go?’
My Lucy Leah, oh, dear heart,
You too are now gone.
To bullets brutal
You too did succumb.
Shall I stand up! Stand up and scream?
Can I still say, No matter what?
Yes! No matter what, your organs saved five
For an Arab too – You would have approved –
Who now with dignity can better live.”
Said dear son, Yehuda, “Yet more light was spread.
Imma’s corneas gave life to two others’ eyes,
Benefiting seven, like we all once were.”
Celina Biniaz, Holocaust survivor,
Interviewed by Israeli star Gal Gadot
Told the many youngsters who listened agog
Gathered together in Zikaron BaSalon,
“Memories shared here, before we are gone,
Must tell you my creed, it will not take long…
Life is like you said in ‘Wonder Woman’
Only love can save the world!
Believe in people’s power to do good.”
Of one thing we’re sure, we’ve oft heard it said
Around Hashem’s throne are many seatings
For those promoting Heavenly ratings;
Now Maia, Rina and Lucy, to spread
Leo Dee’s dream, just “To do what is right,”
Take care to “make it a popular trend.”
D-Day – Code name for the military operation
That marked the beginning of the Allied liberation
of German occupied France in the Second World War
Was adopted by Leo. He counsels, “It’s Dee’s Day!”
Terror’s always Evil, Immoral. Inscribe,
And with Lucy’s Marmite, tea and scones, imbibe.
The blessings we have of our great four,
Does our tragic loss overpower.
Stand up, let’s all go, our flags to unfurl.
Lest we forget. Forget to remember.
Leo Dee said, “My beautiful perfect Maia,
We named you ‘God’s water.’”
Yes. This Passover, passed over like no other.
So many people were you befriending
Between so many groups you were flowing
You always were an angel –
Now you’re forever our guardian angel.
Like Matriarch Sara of the Bible,
You arrived, left, returned
Yes! To our Promised Land.
And are buried as ‘doubles’
alongside your sister Rina,
“Rina, who dreamed of ‘traveling the world’
– you’re now traveling to heaven.”
In response to the tragedy
His Excellency, Lord Ahmad of Great Britain
Fasting for Ramadan, said: “Without the foundation of Judaism
There would not be the walls of Christianity,
And without the walls of Christianity there would not be the roof of Islam.
And ultimately, we come together in the house of God.”
Mother dear,
Although you’re long gone
To the place from where you shine upon...
I know you’ll somehow lend a hand
To make these beautiful women
Feel welcome in their new abode.
Open to them gates of righteousness
From where they will all praise the Lord
And ensure Leo’s pleas will reverberate
Around the world with his message ultimate –
“We will never accept terror as legitimate.
We will never blame the murder on the victims.
There is no such thing as moral equivalence
Between terrorist and victim.
The terrorist is always bad.” ■