“It took me time to understand that I’m special — you have to understand!”

When I came back from New York as a child, I was already American.

But before I left — at age 7 — I knew the lyrics to every song by Noar Shulayim, Chava Alberstein, Shalom Hanoch. I sang them all!

The only artist my father would religiously listen to in Hebrew — and in the car — was Shlomo Artzi.

And once we were immersed in America, and likely also thanks to my mother’s deep love for music of all kinds, we listened to everything at home.

She had a monthly subscription — 5 CDs each month — and we would run to open them:

The Carpenters, Madonna, Nat King Cole, Barbra Streisand, Aretha Franklin, and more and more and more — five new artists every month.

But not in Hebrew.

And after my father passed away, we didn’t really listen to Shlomo Artzi anymore either — for obvious reasons.

When we returned to Israel, I was no longer fully Israeli — but almost not American anymore either.

Or maybe… I had already become both.

It took me time to embrace being both —but eventually, it happened.

I knew how to move through both worlds,because I knew both worlds.

And that’s… special.

It took me time to realize that was special.

At one point I was still religious.

And then suddenly — I wasn’t.

I knew how to live in both worlds,

because I knew both worlds.

And that’s special.

It took me time to understand that too.

It even took me time to listen to Israeli / Hebrew music again —I’m not sure why.

Until I found him (fell in love with him) in the 9th grade.

Eviatar Banai.

He has words that also seem to know how to live between worlds.

Melodies like quiet waves of bursting emotion.

His music held knowledge, meaning —the exhaustion that will pass, the light that will come.

At 14, I somehow knew I could be saved from all these emotions of mine — I think.

Even though I didn’t fully understand why I loved his lyrics so deeply,

even though they felt far too raw for my young age —my understanding of them… made me realize:

I was very special.

It took me time to understand that I’m special.

Please understand that.

It took me a long time.

And I always hope that for someone else —it will take less time than it took me.

So if no one told you today —

YOU ARE SPECIAL. SO VERY SPECIAL.