That was before the war broke out. Now the symphony has taken on a different tone

I

’m a born musician.

Music has always resonated within me, manifesting itself in the most mundane things. I’m physically incapable of being still if there’s music playing, even if it’s just in my head. I can’t comprehend how others don’t tap a finger or sway or even blink to the rhythm of a song.

When I was nine years old, we had a school trip to a performance hall where we learned about the orchestra. Each section of instruments played its tune after a description of its design, music-making capabilities, sound, and place in the orchestra. At the end, they all came together in a glorious presentation of grandeur, unity, and sublime expression. I felt like my heart would simply leap out of my chest.

My whole life, I’ve felt the power of such unity of expression, musically and otherwise. Because we’re all part of a beautiful symphony, each one of us contributing our unique voice to create the whole. In the past year, my longing to be connected to the greater whole, for everyone to be interconnected, focused on the One Conductor has intensified.

A year ago, I heard the rhythmic marching of 450 cadets entering the Latrun amphitheater in synchronicity as they prepared to take their oath of allegiance to the army. I felt the undulating wave that passed through the audience of family members when our sons, our little boys, all shouted together in a sharp staccato that they’re willing to give their lives for their country. In my mind, I heard the crystalline ping of the tears that fell in prayer for everyone’s safety.