The song “I Have No Other Country” has long since become part of the Israeli cultural canon. What began as a protest song written by Ehud Manor against the First Lebanon War has since taken on several incarnations, most recently during protests against the judicial overhaul.
It may take on yet another meaning Monday when it opens an appreciation event for volunteers of “Brothers and Sisters for Israel — Civilian Operations Center,” which will feature personal stories from the war.
Performing the song will be singer Hadar Strauss and combat soldier Moshe Marwick, who was seriously wounded on October 7, 2023.
“The choice of the song was made by the organization,” says Marwick, a U.S.-born immigrant to Israel who became a lone soldier. “I know its political aspects, but as someone who chose Israel as my home, the words touch me in the purest place. In a certain sense, it tells my story — that I have no other country, by choice. I was even privileged to fight for it and be wounded.”
'Only when it was all over did I realize I had been wounded'
Marwick, 24, of Bat Yam, grew up in Baltimore, Maryland, in a Haredi family. At 16, he came to Israel on a youth program and decided to stay.
“When my friends began enlisting, I felt I needed to do the same, so I made aliyah and enlisted in the Nahal Brigade. My parents were very supportive and were happy that I was doing what was right for me.”
“We immediately headed out in an Achzarit armored personnel carrier toward Holit, but we encountered a group of terrorists near the kibbutz. They fired two RPGs at us, and then we fought a gunbattle for hours.”
Marwick was wounded in the shoulder and hip within the first minutes of the fighting, but continued battling alongside his comrades. Together with reinforcement forces, they prevented the terrorists from infiltrating the base.
“Only when it was all over did I begin to realize that I had been wounded,” he says.
The battle of Sufa, in which Marwick was wounded
(Photo: IDF Spokesperson's Unit)
He was airlifted to Soroka Medical Center, where he underwent complicated surgery, and later transferred to rehabilitation at Sheba Medical Center at Tel Hashomer. Representatives of “Brothers and Sisters for Israel,” who came to visit him, noticed a guitar on his bed and suggested that he join the “Song for the Road” project they created with the Rimon School of Music, in which students work with wounded soldiers on songs.
“Because music is such a big part of my life, I jumped at the opportunity,” Marwick says. “Since I’ve been in Israel, I’ve learned to fall in love with local music.”
Part of the healing
Singer, musician and Rimon student Hadar Strauss, 25, who will perform the song with him, is taking part in the project alongside three wounded soldiers.
“At first I was worried that I had nothing to contribute to them, but the moment I met them, and especially Moshe, I realized it was going to be an enjoyable process,” she says.
Hadar Strauss: 'At first I was afraid I had nothing to contribute to them'
(Photo: Mickey Schmidt)
At their weekly meetings, they learn about Israeli music and, sometimes, as in Marwick’s case, also perform original songs.
“I already have a second single on the way and a show at Zappa,” he says. “I think Hadar is part of my healing.”
The event organized by “Brothers and Sisters for Israel” will present on stage at Zappa the stories of the organization’s members and volunteers, from the morning of October 7 through today. It will review their civilian work during the war, from the first days, when volunteers focused on helping the wounded, to the present, as they assist communities in rebuilding.