What does “atzma’ut” mean in Hebrew?

עצמאות, “independence,” is built on one of Hebrew’s most physical roots: עצם (etzem) means “bone” — and from bones, Hebrew grew the idea of the self. בעצמי is “by myself,” עצמאי is a self-employed or independent person, and עצמאות is independence. So יום העצמאות, Israel’s Independence Day — the holiday this children’s song celebrates — literally stands on the word for bone.

The song frames the day exactly the way Israeli kids learn it: יום הולדת למדינה — “a birthday for the state,” complete with the country turning a year older. The self-words multiply from there: הערכה עצמית “self-esteem,” ביטחון עצמי “self-confidence” — all bones underneath.