​The poem was written by 14-year-old Chana Bing from Tel Aviv. It was published in the newspaper Hatzofeh for Children on May 5, 1949, a few days before Independence Day.

In the poem Chana contrasts Tel Aviv with Jerusalem. She writes that the sons and daughters who returned to the Land of Israel have built the “Hebrew” Tel Aviv. Jerusalem, on the other hand, is “sad, because it is abandoned. All of the sons and daughters have gone into exile to wander.” 

Chana is relating to the sad plight of Jerusalem, a divided city at the time, with the east of the city (including the Old City and the Western Wall) in Jordanian hands. A border, named the City Line, with barbed wire and guards, crossed the city separating East and West Jerusalem. Many houses, shops, and buildings were destroyed during the War of Independence in 1948, and the neighbourhoods adjacent to the Old City became a no-man’s-land. 

Tel Aviv, as expressed in the poem, was named the first Hebrew City. Situated on the Mediterranean coast, Tel Aviv was not directly affected by the War of Independence. After the establishment of the State of Israel, Tel Aviv continued to flourish, and during the war, many state institutions were temporarily located there. 

At the end of the poem, the young writer expresses her hope that the sons and daughters will eventually return to Jerusalem to rebuild it.