The #Digitell19 attendees had the opportunity to hear him sing it live, along with some new songs with Jewish themes, last night in an overcrowded Tel Aviv bar.
Here are the lyrics, some of them poignant in light of the rockets that were fired at Tel Aviv only a couple of hours later:
[Verse 1]
I’m a proud part of the diaspora
We ain’t gon play the victim they get mad every time we’re standing up
I’m proud of my people, what we accomplished
You’re crazy if you think some rockets barrages will stop us
Look through our history and we’ve been through it all
Made it through slavery and a holocaust and still standing tall
At the kotel western wall saying the sh’ma meditating
On all the populations, to whom this song is dedicated
Six Jewish families that resided in Khartoum
My Iraqi brothers and sister survived the Farhud
The ones who came in 56 from Mizrayim
Now we’re thriving, garim, B’Yerushalayim
V’gam B’Haifa, HaGolan v’Tel Aviv
Be’er Sheva b’hanegev, V’Eilat by the sea
Atah yodeah she’lo shachachti Ha’Etiopim
She’assu et hakol ma etem omrim she’hem lo yacholim
[Hook]
I’m a proud part of the diaspora
In my heart I hold Jerusalem and Africa
Kicked us out of our land and started gassin us
‘Til we put our foot down cuz we had enough
Check out the flag that I’m waving
Two blue stripes and a huge Star of David
Check out the flag that I’m waving
Keep shooting rockets but you never gon’ take it
[Verse 2]
I hear em talking about the Jews will not replace us
On college campuses they’ve been tryna erase us
And all that BDS campaignin?
We’ve dealt with worse problem than racist associations
Of students all acting stupid
And thinking they're making differences
Picking and choosing truths
And not knowing what real resistance is
You say you value social justice, are you kidding us?
What the hell gives you the right to tell me who’s indigenous?
You don’t have it, you just assume the privilege
Of looking at other people and telling ‘em what their image is
You want the image to fit your twisted narrative
But your divide and conquer tactics ain’t scaring this
Diaspora, of which I’m a proud part
I got blue and white in my veins running through my heart
And they get mad when we’re surviving
The truth is the only way they like a Jew is if they’re dying
So iIma say this by the candlelight
Take moment and remember the fallen for their sacrifice
Never again, we shall never forget
They wanted us dead, we rose from the ashes instead
Melamdim ha’historia m’dor l’dor
Lo yihiye lanu atid, im lo nizcor
We wouldn't have a future, if we didn’t have a past
Everyday we gotta take a minute and honor those who passed
Then wake up determined cuz we returning
To the ways they tried to erase that we’re preserving
Scattered in the wind, in diasporic conditions
But still maintained a connection to our traditions
From Morocco to Havana to Yemen, living in Aden
Ciudad de Mexico, Buenos Aires, we’re all one nation
Through all of the oppression that they threatened tryna shatter us
I’m still a proud part of the diaspora
[Hook]
I’m a proud part of the diaspora
In my heart I hold Jerusalem and Africa
Kicked us out of our land and started gassin us
‘Til we put our foot down cuz we had enough
Check out the flag that I’m waving
Two blue stripes and a huge Star of David
Check out the flag that I’m waving
Keep shooting rockets but you never gon take it
I spoke with him afterwards in a slightly quieter part of the bar. He is only 19, but handsome and charismatic and very proudly Jewish.