עַל־הַנִּסִּים לְיוֹם הָעַצְמָאוּת | Al haNissim for Yom ha-Atsma'ut, by Isaac Gantwerk Mayer • the Open Siddur Project

Tags: 21st century C.E., 58th century A.M., Progressive Zionism, מדינת ישראל Medinat Yisrael, על הנסים al hanissim, מודים Modim

Excerpt: This is an original Al haNissim paragraph for Yom ha-Atsma'ut, focusing on the actual reason for Zionism's necessity — European antisemitism. As I put it when I wrote the first draft of this paragraph, "Zionism was necessary because of the Europeans. The original enemy of Israel’s independence was the European nations who wanted us assimilated or dead. Israel was not declared independent from the Arab world, it was declared independent from Britain, and I think we should remember that on Yom ha-Atsma'ut." . . .

Content:

Many have attempted to write an Al haNissim paragraph for Yom ha-Atsma’ut. Considering that we say Al ha-Nissim on Ḥanukkah, the holiday closest thematically to Yom ha-Atsma’ut, it seems only appropriate. But a lot of these texts are somewhat unfulfilling for their own reasons. (Many, for instance, are too martial, focusing on the wars of independence that happened after the signing and using frankly problematic language equating the Arab nations to the Canaanites.)

This is an original Al haNissim paragraph for Yom ha-Atsma’ut, focusing on the actual reason for Zionism’s necessity — European antisemitism. As I put it when I wrote the first draft of this paragraph, “Zionism was necessary because of the Europeans. The original enemy of Israel’s independence was the European nations who wanted us assimilated or dead. Israel was not declared independent from the Arab world, it was declared independent from Britain, and I think we should remember that on Yom ha-Atsma’ut.”

Since Israel is a state for the entire Jewish people, the opening line includes both the Ashkenazi הַמִּלְחָמוֹת and the Sephardi הַנֶּחָמוֹת in its list.

Source (Hebrew)	Translation (English)
עַל־הַנִּסִּים וְעַל־הַפֻּרְקָן וְעַל־הַגְּבוּרוֹת וְעַל־הַתְּשׁוּעוֹת וְעַל־הַנִּפְלָאוֹת וְעַל־הַמִּלְחָמוֹת וְעַל־הַנֶּחָמוֹת שֶׁעָשִֽׂיתָ לַאֲבוֹתֵֽינוּ בַּיָּמִים הָהֵם בַּזְּמַן הַזֶּה׃	For the miracles and for the redemption and for the mighty deeds and for the rescues and for the wonders and for the battles and for the consolations that You did for our ancestors in those days at this time.
בִּימֵי חֲלוּצֵי צִיּוֹן עָמְדוּ עֲלֵיהֶם בְּנֵי אֵירוֹפָּה וּבִקְּשׁוּ שֶׁיִּשְׂרָאֵל יֻטְמַע אוֹ יְהֹרַס, יָמִיר אוֹ יוּמַת, יְאַבֵּד אֶת־יִחוּדוֹ אוֹ יְאַבֵּד אֶת־חַיָּיו.	In the days of the pioneers of Zion, the children of Europe stood against them and sought that Israel would be assimilated or be destroyed, convert or die, lose its distinctiveness or lose its life.
וְאַתָּה בְּרַחֲמֶֽיךָ הָרַבִּים עוֹרַֽרְתָּ אֶת־לְבָבוֹת יִשְׂרָאֵל לַחֲזֹר אֶל־אֶֽרֶץ אֲבוֹתֵֽינוּ וְלָשׁוּב מֵאַדְמַת גָּלוּיוֹתֵֽנוּ וְחִזַּקְתָּֽנוּ לְהִלָּחֵם עַל־חֵרוּתֵֽנוּ לִהְיוֹת עַם חׇפְשִׁי בְּאַרְצֵֽנוּ.	And You in Your great mercy awoke the hearts of Israel to return to the land of our ancestors and to return from the land of our exile, and You strengthened us to fight for our liberty to be a free people in our land.
וּכְשֵׁם שֶׁנִּקְבְּעוּ בִּימֵי הַמַּקָּבִים לְהוֹדוֹת וּלְהַלֵּל עַל־עַצְמָאוּתֵֽנוּ בְּאֶֽרֶץ זָבַת חָלָב וּדְבָשׁ כֵּן עָלֵֽינוּ לְהוֹדוֹת לְךָ וּלְהַלֶּלְךָ בְּיוֹם הָעַצְמָאוּת הַזֶּה וּלְבָרֵךְ אֶת־שִׁמְךָ עַל־נִסֶּֽיךָ וְעַל־נִפְלְאוֹתֶֽיךָ׃	And just as it was established in the days of the Maccabees to thank and praise for our independence in the land flowing with milk and honey, so too it is upon us to thank You and praise You on this day of independence, and bless Your name for Your miracles and for Your wonders.