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Sholom Aleichem's "Sleep, My
Child" was popular for many
reasons, but especially because
it so well reflects the dream of
Jews hoping to leave for Ameri-
ca, where they would find a land
of wealth, comfort and happi-
ness.
It shouldn't be surprising,
then, that the song also became
the subject of frequent parody for
those left behind. During the ear-
ly part of the century, numerous
new versions" of "Sleep, My
Child" appeared. Most mocked
Poland — and the American of-
ficials who came to the country,
stuffing themselves on fine food
while mothers and babies
starved.

Sleep, my child

>='

Sweet comfort of mine.

Sleep, my life, my Kaddish.

Your mother is weeping at your
cradle,

/- Some day, you will understand
her tears.

compose at the piano, and usu- Will you think of me with pride
ally starts with a lot of improvis- in your days of running wild?
ing. "I try to feel the mood of the
Like the names you are receiving
song I'm singing," he said.
In this case, Cantor Solomon
wanted a distinctly Eastern Eu- There's so much you can't control,
ropean-Jewish feel to his song. But don't ever stop believing
He liked the idea of
"making a connection"
between past and pre-
sent.
For the words, he was
inspired by the Mi she-
berach, a prayer said for
another's well-being.
These days, he often will
sing the song at a brit.
Cantor Solomon no
longer has small chil-
dren, but he continues
to perform "Wings of
Love" in concert with
Safam and sometimes
with the child for whom
he wrote the lullaby.
"The last time I sang
it, my son, who is a per-
cussionist, played
along," he said. "It was
very exciting to have the
chance to perform it
Yossele Rosenblatt was so popular fans waited for
with him."

hours for a ticket to his concert.

Your father is in America,

When I take you in my
arms, my little Jewish boy,

A wonderful life and a paradise
for Jews.

Can I keep you far from harm,
turn your sorrows into joy?

There, everyone is happy

You have freedom in your soul.
(Copyright 1983, Cantor Rob-
bie Solomon Reprinted with per-
mission)

Your tiny hands and fingers
clutching shadows in the air,

Yankele

And they eat challah every day.

Sense a memory that lingers of
the dreams that you will share.

When we get there

I will make you soup.

Your father will send us his pho-
tograph,

Make a cradle from my arms, my
little baby son,

And $20 for the journey.

May it keep you safe and warm,
now your life has just begun.

He will bring us there, then hug
and kiss us.

May you never know the sorrows
or the ravages of war.

/—

May the world of your tomorrows
see a peace that will endure.

Meanwhile, you must sleep, my
child,

For sleep is a valuable remedy.

Wings Of Love

\/-

t 16, Samuel Solomon
may be a little old to hear
lullabies. But thousands
continue to listen to a song his fa-
ther wrote when Samuel was still
a baby.
Robbie Solomon is cantor of
Temple Ohabei Shalom in Brook-
line, Mass., a member of the
group Safam, and the composer
of "Wings of Love," probably the
most popular contemporary Jew-
ish lullaby.
Cantor Solomon wrote "Wings
of Love" for his son shortly after
Samuel was born. He likes to

The Diamond Tennis Bracelet.
So versatile, you can wear
it on the court or on the town.
We will be happy to show
him our wide variety.

Sleep tight while the angels hold
you,

And may God enfold you with
wings of love.

When I take you in my arms, my
little Jewish girl,

Can I keep you far from harm as
you grow up in this world?

You look so soft and tender,
watching something from afar,

May you never need surrender
your pride in who you are.

As I take you by my side my little
Jewish child,

ordechai Gebirtig was
a man who could build
a house as easily as he
could write a song.
Born in 1877 in Krakow,
Gebirtig worked all his life as a
carpenter, though today he is best
remembered as a songwriter
whose words and melodies tell of
the tragedies that often befell the
Jews.
Mordechai Gebirtig was just a
small boy when his love for mu-
sic became obvious. He taught
himself to play the flute, though
he had little free time: because
the family needed money, he
went to work in his brother-in-
law's furniture shop.
Gebirtig's first book of poetry
was published in 1920, and his
first collection of songs was print-
ed in 1936. By this time, thanks
to the Yiddish theater, his tunes
already were popular both in Eu-
rope and the United States and
had been throughout the 1920s.
Molly Picon was among the ac-
tresses who loved, and sang,
Gebirtig's music.
Gebirtig served with the Aus-
tro-Hungarian army during
World War I, during which he
continued to write songs. Often
these earlier pieces (including
his lullaby "Yankele") evince a
gentle sense of humor. But his

LULLABIES page 48

Est. 1919

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