Great Elul Videos

Eye to the Sky: An inspiring new video to get us moms into an Elul frame of mind, with music by Tsiona Achishena and images by Sheva Chaya (who designed the awe-inspiring graphic at the top of this blog). Enjoy!

Oy, does the song Oyfen Pripetchik make me cry, especially now that Yoel just started learning “Dem Aleph Beis” in his new cheider on Rosh Chodesh Elul, just like his great-great grandfathers and the boys in this song. This song is dedicated to all you moms out there who also sent off your sons for their first day back at school this past week. (Scroll down for lyrics and translation.)

Yiddish – ON THE WOODEN STOVE
ON THE HEARTH

A fire burns on the hearth
and it is warm in the little house.
And the rabbi is teaching little children
the alphabet.

Remember, children,
remember, dear ones,
what you learn here.
Repeat and repeat yet again,
komets alef-o.

Learn, children, don’t be afraid
every beginning is hard.
Lucky is the Jew who studies Torah.
what more do we need?

When, children, you will grow older
you will understand,
how many tears lie in these letters
and how much crying.

When, children, carry on the exile,
in torture,
you will gain strength from these letters
look inside them!

Learn, children, with enthusiasm,
as I instruct you.
The one who learns Hebrew better
will receive a flag.

OYFN PRIPETCHIK
אױפֿן פּריפּעטשיק

Oyfn pripetchik brent a fayerl
un in shtub is heys.
Un der rebbe lernt kleyne kinderlekh
dem alef-beyz.

Gedenkt’zhe, kinderlekh,
gedenkt’zhe, tayere,
vos ir lernt do.
Zogt’zhe nokhamol un take nokhamol,
komets alef-o.

Lernt, kinderlekh, hot nit moyre
yeder onheyb iz shver.
Gliklekh iz der yid vos lernt toyre,
vos darfn mir nokh mer?

Az ir vet, kinderlekh, elter vern,
vet ir aleyn farshteyn,
vifil in di oysyes lign trern
un vifil geveyn.

Az ir vet, kinderlekh, dem goles shlepn,
oygemutshet zayn,
zolt ir fun di oysyes koyech shepn –
kukt in zey arayn!

Lernt, kinderlekh, mit groys kheyshik,
azoy zog ikh aykh on.
Ver s’vet beser vun aykh kenen ivri,
der bakumt a fon.

reprinted from www.Hebrewsongs.com

2 comments

  1. Thanks to the blog is really nice

  2. Shulamis Silverman

    There was some story about this song. I can’t remember all the details, but it was something about a melamed from just before the Holocaust writing it for his students. Anyone know more?

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