''k4aleS0 Viftir 4V, ater in Russia), then again in 1926 at the Majestic Theater on Woodward, and in 1930 at Littman's Peoples Theater. Though Goldfaden is credited with both the words and music for "Almonds and Raisins" (and he did, in fact, often compose all the music for his plays), the piece ac- tually is an adaptation of a popular folk song from Russia. In general, the song goes something like this: Under Yankele's cradle A little white goat is standing. The little goat went off to the market, To bring raisins and almonds For my little Yankele. ognize the beauty and poignancy of the original folk song. During the Holocaust, Eastern European Jews had their own "Raisins and Almonds." But in this ver- sion there are no dreams of a beautiful fu- ture. Instead, an old man writes his last will, pleading with those who survive to "tell your children of our suffering and murder." Night Descends T he names of the authors of many lullabies are now lost. Two of the most popular from Israel, "Rad Halailah" (Night Descends) and "Numi, Numi" (Sleep, Sleep) both speak of a father who has gone, but will return with a treat. Rad Halailah Raisins and almonds, Night already has come, A wonderful delight It has come. To make my baby healthy. Where did Daddy go? To the village. My Yankele will study Torah, What will Daddy buy for me? And write learned volumes A goat and a kid. A good and pious man Who will milk the goat, who? He will always be. The both of us, my son. Numi, Numi Goldfaden's version of "Raisins and Al- monds" also tells of "a widowed daugh- ter of Zion" who rocks her only child, Yidele, to sleep. She sings of the day when her boy will go to market and trade in raisins and almonds, and of when he will be a wealthy man. "But even when you are rich, Yidele," she implores, "remember your mother's lullaby." Goldfaden was not the only one to rec- Sleep, sleep, my child. Sleep, sleep, my little one. Father has gone to work, he has gone. He will return when the moon is out, He will bring you a present. gan writing in Yiddish and left newspa- pers for fiction. His first short story was published in the St. Petersburg weekly Dos Yidish Folksblat, where Sholom Ra- binovitz began writing under the name Sholom Aleichem. Sholom settled in Kiev, and his first nov- el, Natasha, was published in 1884. He founded a Yiddish journal, Di Yidish Fols- biliotek, to which many of the new and leading authors contributed. Sholom Aleichem's most famous char- acter, Tevye the Milkman (the central fig- ure in Fiddler on the Roof), made his first ap- Left: Sholom pearance in 1894, an Aleichem's poem otherwise difficult speaks of life in decade for the author. America. Sholom was both a pro- Below: Mordechai lific and popular writer Gebirtig warned of but a poor business- a terrible fire. man, and he would be plagued throughout Sleep, My Child much of his life by fi- holom Aleichem is nancial woes. better known for his Throughout the ear- words of wit than his ly 1900s, Sholom be- tender poems. But he was in- came active in the deed the author of "Sleep, My Zionist movement and Child," one of the most well- wrote almost nonstop. known Jewish lullabies. He gave frequent read- First published in 1892, ings and traveled to "Sleep, My Child" is a poem New York and Europe. of hope for what lies ahead in He wrote plays, but few America. were successful abroad, Sholom Aleichem was where he had hoped to born Sholom Rabinowitz in earn much-needed in- 1859 in Pereyaslav, Ukraine. come. He was a boy when his par- In 1913 Sholom be- ents settled in Voronkov, the gan what would be his model for the town of "Kas- YIVO INSTITUTE OF J EWISH RESEARCH last major opus, an au- rilevke" in many of his stories. tobiographical novel called From the Fair. Sholom Aleichem was in his early 20s He did not live to finish it. Ill for many when his first work, a short newspaper ar- years (he was diagnosed with tuberculo- ticle, was published. He continued in jour- sis just before his 50th birthday), he con- nalism for three years, writing in Hebrew. tinued to lecture throughout the world The stories often focused on Jewish edu- in an effort to secure funds. He had just cation. begun one such tour when he died May After Sholom married in 1883, he be- 13, 1916. eS • 0 • The first version wasn't bad, but Ilene Safyan wasn't satisfied. She and her partner, Margie Rosenthal, had just completed record- ing Cantor Robbie Solomon's "Wings of Love" for their collection of Jew- ish lullabies, Where Dreams Are Born. Everyone was happy, and Mrs. Safyan agreed the recording sound- ed nice. But nice wouldn't do for what Mrs. Safyan described as "the most incredibly tender song, representing a parent's hopes and dreams for her children." Ilene Safyan At the last minute, the and Margie two women re-recorded Rosenthal: the song, changing the in- Speaking in strumentation from a gui- melodies. tar to a piano and slowing down the pace. The new version "was more reflec- tive," Mrs. Safyan says. "It wasn't just singing; it's as though we were talk- " ing m melodies." Since '1987, .Ilene"Safyan and Margie Rosenthal, both residents of Oregon, havabeen singing a reperz - toire that features all kinds ofJewish music, including lullabies. "We do lullaby concerts on a Sat- urday night," Mrs. Safyan said. "It's kind of like a pajama party. We have some fun songs, then settle down on blankets, turn the lights down low, and sing lullabies." Mrs. Safyan said she loves Jewish lullabies because they are 'like the lit- tle kernel that started us in early life and carried us through." Before making their lullaby album, Mrs. Safyan and Mrs. Rosenthal looked through book after book of He- brew and Yiddish songs, and listened to old recordings. "Once you start to search you find music you never re- ally paid attention to that suddenly . scream Among Mrs. Safyan's fa.vorites: a Sephardic tillaby on a record by Is- . raeli. sinder Yehoram Gaon; "Talit," a contemporary Israeli song which gives the image of a parent who, like an ea- gle, protects her child; and Cantor Solomon's 'Wings of Love." Mrs. Safyan at times writes her own lullabies, though she has yet to record any. She begins, she said, "by looking into my heart, then translat- ing that feeling into words." Anything can inspire her — "a wish for snow, a certain event, a hope, a fear." Mrs. Safyan is the mother of two children, 12 and 10, "and I'm still singing them lullabies." " ❑ On For information on Ilene Safyan and Margie Rosenthal, contact Sheera Recordings, P.O. Box 19414, Portland, Ore., 97219.