Aufwind
LOMP NOCH NIT FARLOSCHN
LP AMIGA / VEB 845366, Deutsche Schallplatte, Berlin, DDR

Recorded 25. April - 6. Juni 1989
AMIGA-Studio Brunnenstraße, Berlin

1 Doss lidl fun goldenem land
Text und Musik: Mordechaj Gebirtig (1877-1942)
Arrangement: Koch / Reich

Claudia - Gesang, Violine
Hardy - Mandoline
Andreas - Gitarre, Bandonion
André Loos - Baß

 

 


2 A glesele maschke
Text und Musik: Michael Gordon (1823-1890)
Arrangement: Koch / Reich

Claudia - Violine
Hardy - Gesang, Gitarre, Mandoline
Jan - Klarinette
André Loos - Baß

 

 


3 Schlof, majn kind
Text: Scholem Alejchem (1859-1916) Musik: Claudia Koch
Arrangement: Koch / Reich

Claudia - Gesang, Violine
Hardy - Gitarre
Andreas - Bandonion

 

 

4 Frajtik ojf der nacht
Text und Musik: Nochem Sternheim (1879-1942)
Arrangement: Koch / Rohde

Claudia - Violine
Andreas - Gesang, Gitarre
André Loos - Baß

 

 

5 Odessa bulgarisch
Musik: traditionell / Abe Schwarz
Arrangement: Koch / Reich

Claudia - Violine
Hardy - Mandoline
Andreas - Bandonion
Jan - Klarinetten
André Loos - Baß

 

 

 

6 Indrojssn / di bekeraj
Text: anonym Musik: traditionell/Claudia Koch
Arrangement: Koch / Reich

Claudia - Gesang, Violine
Hardy - Gitarre
Andreas - Bandonion
Jan - Klarinette
André Loos - Baß

 

 

 

7 Motl der oprejter
Text: Chajm Tauber (1901-1972) Musik: traditionell/Naftule Brandwine
Arrangement: Koch / Reich

Claudia - Violine
Hardy - Gesang
Andreas - Bandonion

 

 

8 Wu bisstu gewen far prohibischn
Musik: traditionell / Naftule Brandwine
Arrangement: Koch / Reich

Claudia - Violinen
Hardy - Mandoline
Jan - Klarinette
André Loos - Baß

 

 


9 Milchome
Text: Abraham Reisen (1875-1953) Musik: Michael Gordon (1823-1890)
Arrangement: Koch / Reich

Claudia - Gesang, Violine
Hardy - Gitarre
Andreas - Bandonion
André Loos - Baß

 

 


10 Ich wejss nit
Text: Abraham Reisen (1875-1953) Musik: traditionell
Arrangement: Koch

Claudia - Violine
Hardy - Gesang

 


11 Papirossn
Text: Hermann Jablokoff (1903-1981) Musik: traditionell
Arrangement: Koch / Reich

Claudia - Gesang, Violine
Hardy - Gitarre
Andreas - Gitarre, Bandonion
Jan - Klarinette

 

 


12 Wot ken ju mach? Ess is Amerike!
Text: Aaron Lebedeff (1873-1960) Musik: Scholem Secunda (1894-1974)
Arrangement: Koch / Reich / Rohde

Claudia - Violine
Hardy - Gesang, Gitarre
Andreas - Bandonion
Jan - Klarinette

 

 


13 Rabbejnu Tam
Text: Itzik Manger (1911-1969) Musik: Herts Rubin (1911-1958)
Arrangement: Koch / Reich

Claudia - Gesang, Violine
Hardy - Gitarre, Gesang
Andreas - Bandonion, Gesang
Jan - Klarinette
André Loos - Baß

 

 

 

14 Wilne
Text: L. A. Wolfson (1867-1946) Musik: Alexander Olschansky (1892-1946)
Arrangement: Koch / Reich / Rohde

Claudia - Violine
Hardy - Gesang, Gitarre
Andreas - Bandonion

 

 

15 Jiddisch is majn loschn
Text: Sishe Weinper (1892-1957) Musik: Mojsche Rauch (1910)
Arrangement: Koch / Reich

Claudia - Gesang, Viola
Hardy - Gitarre
Andreas - Gitarre
Jan - Klarinette
André Loos - Baß
  1 Doss lidl fun goldenem land 3:07
  2 A glesele mashke 4:13
  3 Shlof, mayn kind 4:10
  4 Fraytik oyf der nakht 3:25
  5 Odessa bulgarish 1:27
  6 Indroyssn / di bekeray 3:06
  7 Motl der opreyter 3:15
  8 Vu bisstu geven far prohibishn 2:00
  9 Milkhome 2:47
10 Ikh veyss nit 1:43
11 Papirossn 3:43
12 Vot ken yu makh? Ess is Amerike! 3:35
13 Rabbeynu Tam 4:07
14 Vilne 4:21
15 Yiddish is mayn loshn 1:56
 
1 Doss lidl fun goldenem land
words and melody: Mordechaj Gebirtig (1877-1942)
arrangement: Koch / Reich

Oy, nem guter klesmer dayn fidl in hant
un spil mir doss lidl fun goldenem land.
Amol flegt mayn mame mit harts un gefil
doss lidl mir singn. Oy, shpil ess mir, shpil!

Un her ikh doss lidl, dan shvebt far mir bald
mayn tayere mame, ir liblekh geshtalt;
ir hartsiker shmeykhl, ir tsertlekher blik –
sey vekn mir oyf mayn fargangenem glik.

Amol is geven in a goldenem land
a kluger ben-yokhid, a sheyner brilyant...
Si singt un ess tiktakt dem seygerss umru
un ´ss vigele hoydet sikh – ay-lyu-lyu-lyu.

Un her ikh doss lidl, doss sisse gesang,
dan vet oyfn harts asoy umetik bang –
un ´ss vilt sikh, vi mayn mame mit harts un gefil,
doss lidl mir singn – oy shpil ess mir, shpil!

2 A glesele mashke
words and melody: Michael Gordon (1823-1890)
arrangement: Koch / Reich

B´shass der shadkhen is amol gekumen tsu mayn seydn
dem tatn mit der mamen a shidekh redn –
oy, hot men geredt un geredt un geredt, nor umsisst,
bis doss glesele mashke hot sikh arayngemisht..

tsulib mashke is gevorn der shidekh geshlossn,
der tate is gevorn der mamess khossn, ay da day...

tsulib mashke hot der tate mit der mame khassene gehat,
men hot getrunkn di mashke a gantsishke nakht...
Oy, di klesmer hobn geshpilt mit a gants faynem ton,
men hot genumen di kalle inmitn der kon...

tsulib mashke hot der tate di mame genumen,
tsulib mashke bin ikh oyf der velt gekumen, ay da day...

Ikh gedenk nokh, voss is geven bay mayn briss,
di mashke is nit geven arop dem tish.
Ale hobn sikh gevutshn a gants faynem, a sheynem, a gesuntn masltov,
as ikh sol oyssvakssn a groysser rov.

tsulib mashke hot der tate...

3 Shlof, mayn kind
words: Scholem Alejchem (1859-1916) melody: Claudia Koch
arrangement: Koch / Reich

shlof, mayn kind, mayn treysst, mayn sheyner,
shlof-she lyu-lyu-lyu!
shlof mayn lebn, mayn kaddish eyner,
shlof-she sunenyu.

Bay dayn vigl sittst dayn mame,
singt a lid un veynt,
vesst amol farshteyn misstome,
voss si hot gemeynt.

In Amerike is der tate
dayner, sunenyu,
du bisst nokh a kind lessate,
shlof-she, shlof, lyu-lyu!

In Amerika is far yedn,
sogt men, gor a glik,
un far yidn a gan-edn,
epess an antik.

Dortn esst men in der vokhn
khale, sunenyu,
yaykhelekh vel ikh dir kokhn,
shlof-she, shlof, lyu-lyu.

Er vet shikn tsvantsig doler,
sayn portret dertsu,
un vet nehmen, lebn sol er,
ands ahintsutsu.

Bis ess kumt doss gute kvitl,
shlof-she, sunenyu,
shlofn is a tayer mitl,
shlof-she, shlof, lyu-lyu.

4 Fraytik oyf der nakht
words and melody: Nochem Sternheim (1879-1942)
arrangement: Koch / Rohde
Nokhem Shternheym
1879 (Raysha (Rzeszow), Central Galacia)

Ikh dermon sikh in dem fraytik oyf der nakht,
oy, voss far ashiress.
Der tate mit di kinder salbe akht,
flegn singen smiress.
Flegt der tate sikh aveksetsn tsubomken mit a lefele,
gebn mitn fingerl a knak,
flegt di bobe mitn goyderl shoklen mitn kepele,
oy-vey, vi geshmak, oy-vey, vi geshmak.

´ss is shabbes, haynt in kheder geyt men nit,
oy, a fargenign,
der tate geyt fun davnen trit bay trit
un murmlt shtil a nign.
Flegt der tate sikh aveksetsn farhern di gemore
un gebn mir a knipele in bak.
„Ess vaksst a talmid-khokhem“, flegt er sogn, „keyn ayn-hore...“
Oy-vey, vi geshmak, oy-vey, vi geshmak.

´ss flegt kumen der shabbes oyf der nakht,
flegn mir sikh in di vinkelekh farrukn,
di mame shteyt baym fensterl fartrakht
di bobe tut in ´´ttsene-rene´ kukn.
Flegt di bobe ands dertseyln a maysse fun dray prittsimlekh,
voss blondshen in der finster mit a hak,
flegn kinderlekh bagissn sikh mit trerelekh vi perelekh –
oy-vey, vi geshmak, oy-vey, vi geshmak.

5 Odessa bulgarish
melody: traditional / Abe Schwarz
arrangement: Koch / Reich

 

6 Indroyssn / di bekeray
words: anonym melody: traditional/Claudia Koch
arrangement: Koch / Reich

Indroyssn geyt a drobinker regn,
oy, di volknss sey hobn sikh farshpreyt.
Sint ikh hob nor di bekeray derkent,
asoy hot sikh mir der kop fardreyt.

A mil as si molt, molt si kesseyder,
far ir opshtel is nito a minut.
Kukt nor on doss kleynsste bekeryingl,
tsi farmogt er den a tropn blut?

Der beker mit der bekern sey kumen in di bekeray,
loyt seyer raykhtum un loyt seyer shteyger:
Si geyt ongeton mit a por brilyantn-oyringen
un er mit a goldenem seyger.

7 Motl der opreyter
words: Chajm Tauber (1901-1972) melody: traditional/Naftule Brandwine
arrangement: Koch / Reich


Motl, der opreyter,
in shop dort shtendik neyt er,
ale yorn dreyt er dort in shop.
Er shpilt di katarinke
un shvitst bay der mashinke.
Motl is a voyler yungerman.

Motl hot a vayb un kinder tsvey,
shver un biter arbet er far sey.
Un vayl Motl arbet shver,
fardint der boss alts mer,
un Motl blaybt derselber oreman.

voss-she vil der Motl,
der opreyter Motl?
Er vil nit keyn raykhkeyt oder gelt,
er vil far vayb un kinder broyt
un amol a shukh, a kleyd.
Motl vil keyn ssakh nit fun der velt.

A shtrayk hot oyssgebrokhn,
shoyn gantse tsvelef vokhn,
un Motl is a guter yunyen-man.
Motl der opreyter
as men shikt im, geyt er,
un mit ale in der piket-layn.

In shtub sayn vayb un kinder tsvey,
un nishto keyn shtikl broyt far sey.
Tut Motl vey doss harts,
alts kukt aroyss tsu im shvarts.
Er dreyt lebn shop mit a ssayn.

In piket-layn shteyt Motl,
un a gengsster mit a bottl
´barfalln hot im dort inmitn gass,
mitn flash, voss er´t gehaltn,
hot er Motlss kop tseshpaltn...
In sayn eygn blut vet Motl nass.

Gevorn is a tuml, a geshrey,
gebrakht im tsu sayn vayb un kinder tsvey,
Sey veynen, gissn trern,
nor Motl ken nisht hern:
Motl hot geendikt shoyn sayn dshob.

voss-she vilt der Motl,
der opreyter Motl?
Er hot nishtgevolt keyn ashiress un keyn gelt,
er´t gevolt far vayb un kinder broyt,
ittst ligt shoyn Motl toyt.
Motl hot geendikt shoyn sayn dshob.

8 Vu bisstu geven far prohibishn
melody: traditional / Naftule Brandwine
arrangement: Koch / Reich

 

9 Milkhome
words: Abraham Reisen (1875-1953) melody: Michael Gordon (1823-1890)
arrangement: Koch / Reich

„Oy, mame, kh´vil abissl milkh,
´ss is trukn mir mayn gumen.“
„Mayn kind, a beyser passtekh hot
di ale ki farnumen.“

„To gib mir, mame, broyt a biss,
dem hunger mir tsu shtiln.“
„Nito, mayn kind, a vasser hot
fartrunken als miln.

A vasser vild, a vasser royt
hot sey aropgetrogn,
un ale milner seynen ittst
avek in feld sikh shlogn.“

„To vu-she is der tate ittst,
er sol ands essn krign?“
„ Der tate is avek mit sey
a ssoyne tsu basign.

Der tate is oykh ittst in feld.
Du hersst mayn kind a brumen?
Er is avek, er is nito,
ver veyss tsi vet er kumen...“

10 Ikh veyss nit
words: Abraham Reisen (1875-1953) melody: traditional
arrangement: Koch


Ikh veyss nit, voss hob ikh, ikh veyss nit voss felt mir,
Ikh veyss nor, di likhtike sun is farshtelt mir.

Ikh veyss nit, voss sing ikh, tsi libe tsi tsorn,
Ikh veyss nor, mayn harts is farssarftet gevorn.

Ikh veyss nit, tsi leb ikh tsi bin ikh geshtorbn,
Ikh veyss nor farshimlt is alts un fardorbn.
 

11 Papirossn
words: Hermann Jablokoff (1903-1981) melody: traditional
arrangement: Koch / Reich

A kalte nakht, a nepldike, finsster umetum,
shteyt a yingele fartroyert un kukt sikh arum.
Fun regn shitst im nor a vant,
a koshikl holt er in hant
un sayne oygn betn yedn shtum:
Ikh hob shoyn mer keyn koyekh nisht, arayntsugeyn in gass,
hungerik un opgerissn, fun dem regn nass,
ikh shlep arum sikh fun baginen,
keyner git nisht tsu fardinen,
ale lakhn, makhen fun mir shpass.

Kupitye, koyft-zhe papirossn,
trukene, fun regn nisht fargossn.
Koyft-zhe bilik benemoness,
koyft un hot oyf mir rakhmoness.
Ratevet fun hunger mikh atsind.
Kupitye, koyft-zhe shvebelekh, antikn,
dermit vet ir a yosseml derkvikn.
Umsisst mayn shrayen un mayn loyfn,
keyner vil bay mir nisht koyfn,
oyssgeyn vel ikh musn vi a hunt.

Mayn tate in milkhome hot farloyrn sayne hent,
mayn mame hot di tsoress mer oysshaltn nisht gekent.
yung in keyver sey getribn,
bin ikh oyf der velt geblibn
umgliklekh un elnt vi a shteyn.
Breklekh kloyb ikh oyf tsu essn
in dem altn mark,
a harte bank is mayn geleger in dem kaltn park.
Un tsi dertsi di politsiantn
shlogn mir mit shverdn kantn,
sey rirt nisht mayn gebet un mayn geveyn.

12 Vot ken yu makh? Ess is Amerike!
words: Aaron Lebedeff (1873-1960) melody: Scholem Secunda (1894-1974)
arrangement: Koch / Reich / Rohde


Keyn Amerike tsu kumen, hob ikh keyn mi geshport,
kh´hob gedenkt a rov tsu vern un farlosn sikh a bord,
kh´hob gehat tsvey sheyne peyess, vi yeder frumer yid –
tsum ssof onshtot di bord hob ikh di peyess oykhet nit.

vet ir mir fregn: S´taytsh? vi ken doss sayn?
Der terets derfun is, libe fraynt, derbay:

vot ken yu makh? Ess is Amerike!
Do in land do puttst men sikh asoy.
vot ken yu makh? Ess is Amerike!
Afile der yid hot dem ponim mitn goy.

As fun peyess do set men bay keynem nit keyn shpor,
do trogn sikh di peyelekh ale meydlekh gor,
vot ken yu makh? Ess is Amerike,
ss‘is Amerike, un vot ken yu makh?
As do in Amerike is altsding farkert,
di mener – sey sheyvn sikh, un bay di vayber shprottsn berd,
vot ken yu makh? Ess is Amerike, un „bolshe nitshevo“!

In yurop hobn khassene yunge meydlekh gor,
un nakher hobn sey kinder, vi ess firt sikh, punkt tsum yor,
in Amerike is gor andersh, me nemt sikh tsayt on shir –
m´hot khassene do shpeter, nor di kinder hot men fri‘er.

vet ir mir fregn: S´taytsh?...

vot ken yu makh? Ess is Amerike,
do ken passirn alts, sog ikh aykh,
vot ken yu makh? Ess is Amerike,
as do aylt men sikh dokh mit a yeder sakh.

Do sukht men tsu sseyvn expenssess af geviss,
derfar makht men di khassene tsusamn mitn briss!
vot ken yu makh? Ess is Amerike, ess is Amerike, un vot ken yu makh.
As khossn-kalle fun der khupe aheym nor me geyt,
is shoyn dortn a vigele mit a kind oykh ongegreyt!
vot ken yu makh? Ess is Amerike, ss’is Amerike aleyn un „detss oll“!

13 Rabbeynu Tam
words: Itsik Manger (1901-1969) melody: Herts Rubin (1911-1958)
arrangement: Koch / Reich

Lomir singen doss sheyne lid,
haydl, didl, dam,
vi di goldene pave flit
ibern shvarts yam.
Un trogt a libess-brivele,
a sheyness libess-brivele,
far dem Rabbeynu Tam.

ver hot geshribn doss brivele?
Haydl, didl, day –
geshribn hot doss brivele
di malke fun terkay.
Geshribn ess mit roytn tint
un farkhassmet ess geshvind
mit heysse trern dray.

voss shteyt geshribn in brivele?
Haydl, didl, du –
„Rabbeynu Tam ikh libe dikh,
voss-zhe shvaygsstu, nu?
Ikh esse nisht‘, ikh trinke nish‘,
ikh ver tsesettst fun benkenish,
ikh habe nisht keyn ru.“

voss-zhe tut Rabbeynu Tam?
Haydl, didl, de–
Er glet di peye un di bord
un makht dray mol „fe...“
Un doss tsigele in shtal,
un doss vaysse tsigele
helft im unter „me...“

Nu, un si, di rebbetsin?
Haydl, didl, doy –
si klapt im mitn valgerholts
un sogt tsu im asoy:
„shikssess lign dir in sin,
nu un yakh un yakh vu bin,
dayn heyss-gelibte froy?

Treft, ver ´ss hot doss lid gemakht?
Haydl, didl, dam –
A shnayderyung hot ess gemakht
l´koved dem Rabbeynu Tam.
Un shabess tsvishn tog un nakht
hot a letts arayngelakht
akurat tsum gram.

14 Vilne
words: L. A. Wolfson (1867-1946) melody: Alexander Olschanski (1892-1946)
arrangement: Koch / Reich / Rohde


vilne, shtot fun gaysst un tmimess,
vilne, yiddishlekh fartrakht,
vu ess murmlen shtile tfiless,
shtile ssoydess fun der nakht.
Oftmol se ikh dir in kholem,
heyssgelibte vilne mayn,
un di alte vilner geto
in a nepldikn shayn.

vilne, vilne, andser heymshtot,
andser benkshaft un bager.
Akh, vi oft ess ruft dayn nomen
fun mayn oyg aroyss a trer.
vilner gesslekh, vilner taykhn,
vilner veldl, barg un tol,
epess nayert, epess benkt sikh
nokh di tsaytn fun amol.

´kh se dem veldele sakreter
in sayn shotn ayngehilt,
vu geheym ess hobn lerer
andser vissndorsht geshtilt.
vilne hot dem ershtn fodem
fun der frayheytsfon gevebt
un di libe kinder sey´re
mit a tsartn gaysst balebt.

15 Yiddish is mayn loshn
words: Sische Weinper (1892-1957) melody: Mojsche Rauch (1910)
arrangement: Koch / Reich

Loshn maynss is yiddish
ful mit pashtess, un
rakhvessdik, negidish,
varem vi di sun.

Hemshekh is mayn s´khiye,
kiyem is mayn lid,
mayn gesang: aliye
tsu dem mentsh un yid.

Mentshn un leshoyness,
loshn is der mentsh –
mentshelekhkeyt di kroyn is,
sing tsu ir un bentsh.

Felker in harmonye,
libshaft tsvishn sikh –
shtralndike ssimfonye,
un in ir oykh ikh.

Lomp nokh nit farloshn,
se, er glit nokh, glit,
yiddish is mayn loshn,
yiddish is mayn lid.

transkriptions lyrics:
© 1989 Jürgen Rennert

The Violin of Nachum Sternheim

by Manes Frommer

The poet Nachum Sternheim was born in Rzeszow in 1879 and died in the Holocaust.

He studied in Yeshiva until the age of seventeen. He was active in the professional union of workers and officials from 1897. He was one of the activists of Poale Zion in Rzeszow in 1904. His first songs were published in the “Wachenblatt” newspaper of Leibel Taubisz. He left Rzeszow in 1908 and moved to the United States. He earned his livelihood from factory work in America, and published Yiddish songs. He returned to Rzeszow in 1912. He toured the Jewish communities of Galicia. He lectured on Jewish national poetry and performed his songs. He became famous as one of the national Yiddish songwriters.

The enemy pillaged our city, took the city from us, grabbed away the cradles of our children, took our lives, and destroyed our graves. Nothing remains from those days, only the violin and songs of Nachum Sternheim.

“Das Lidele, Das Fidele
Un Oich Das Alte Yidele” [1]

(“The Little song, the violin,
And also the old Jew”.)

The popular songs of Nachum Sternheim remain. Those they could not take from us, for the song, in accordance with the words of the poet, does not know borders, and death has no power over it.

Nachum continues to live on in his songs, even though he often went around penniless during his life. Despite the want and straits, he was happy with his lot and gladdened his nation with his songs. The property and wealth of the Jews of Rzeszow sunk into the depths. Wealthy and famous people, who fled from the city to safety, died in strange places, without Kaddish and without a monument. However, the songs of Sternheim accompany us, the survivors and remnants. His songs continue to embroider the life above the dust and ashes of our murdered community.

Here, pages are laid open before me. These are yellowed, faded notebooks, annotated with the songs of Nachum, that were published by the Goldberg printing press of Rzeszow:


“Malkale”, “Shlomole”, “Yosele”, “Sarale”, and dozens of other songs that were played in Rzeszow before the deluge. These songs were played into the heart, and awaken in us memories of our childhood years, with bright smiles and happiness. These songs did not die. They wandered with the remnants of the Jews of Rzeszow, Galicia and Poland to all places that fate took them – to the Diaspora in America, Argentina and Australia.

In my youth, when I saw him for the first time, he would always say, “So what that I go around without a cent, do you want me to return to the egg business? It is true that I have no wealth, but I am filled with happiness [2]. I would not switch places with the greatest wealthy people of our city. I am happy with my lot; I sing and make my friends happy, young and old. I sing and am happy when there is no coin in my pocket. 'The pocketbook does not care about poverty'”.

Thus did I see him during the 1920s in the room behind the restaurant of Red Shmilka, in the company of the joyous people of Rzeszow “Chevra Pi Tamid”. Thus is he etched in my memory, when I saw him for the last time, in 1938, in Warsaw, in the office of Slapak, the manager of the film studio. There, Nachum performed popular songs for a Jewish film that portrayed a tragedy of a pair of lovers in a Jewish town. This Yiddish film was not completed, and was never performed before the Holocaust.

The “Chevra Pi Tamid”, around the table sits Pinchas Elenbogen, Mendel Fett, Yosef Storch, Yaakov Alter, Yissachar Friedman, Simcha Trink, the banker Levi, and the youths Debel, Silber, Rebhun, and others. Approximately twenty members of “Chevrat Pi Tamid” poured glasses of wine and rejoiced in accordance with the adage “wine causes the heart of man to rejoice”. The members raise their cups, and Nachum started singing the hymn of the group:

“The Chevra Tamid-Pi
Indeed goes through the trouble
And sets up one cup after another
One lifts the cups high
One sings, one sings with power
Lechayim! With spirit.”

After each “Lechayim”, they drink and pour the cups again, lift the cups and sing.

The hymn is by Nachum, the tune is from Nachum, the joy is from Nachum, and they are all happy and rejoicing with Nachum and his songs.

Nachum was the composer of joy, and the happy friends broke into a Hassidic dance. Suddenly Nachum ascended the chair, took off his shirt and tie, and sang his hymn:

“Don't Grab”… “Dance, Jew, Dance…”, “The Rebbe's sign”, etcetera. Until dawn, Nachum sang in a satirical vein about Admorim, rabbis, Parnasim (communal administrators), governors and judges, about matters of the day, and lashed into the issues of the community. Nachum bore a torch of joy that illuminated the darkness of the town.

Suddenly Yissachar Friedman was silent. Nachum encouraged him and requested that he tell jokes regarding his grandfather, Yissachar Glazer, who was nicknamed “Hershele Osterpoler of the community of Rzeszow”. Yissachar Friedman takes a drink and says: Once grandfather was in the town square, and looked upon the silver moon. Jews gathered around him and did as he did. Afterward they asked him why he concentrated so hard on the moon. Yissachar answered: This moon has it good, for it wanders by itself through the sky and has no yoke of livelihood for its wife tied around its neck. The gathering laughed. Thus passed hours of laughter, jokes and song. This was the “Pi Tamid” group. Its composer was Sternheim. Thus at one time did the Jews of Rzeszow rejoice and make merry.

But the merry Jews drank like Jews, they never got drunk. The drinking was, as customary, accompanied by stories, jokes, and biting and telling satire. These jokes traveled through the roads of Rzeszow and the region, and Nachum made use of the satirical comment from the national stage. A Zionist Jew, he created songs and gave them melodies. The songs of Sternheim remain as a memorial to the city of our mothers and fathers, who perished so tragically. These songs gave expression to their lives, their dreams, their lot, their joy and their agony.

Here is one of the songs from the world of yesterday that was engulfed in the depths of the Holocaust:

“My home from my childhood, my home
How sincerely does the tune of the familiar place still sound to me
That Father and Mother used to sing as they rocked me there,
My home from my childhood, my home
Friday evening, how splendid and beautiful
Do Grandfather and Father appear.
Grandmother and Mother supplicate near the lit candles.
In the dream of my heart, my pain burns away
I see my ancestors as if in a dream, I see
Those who lived and still live in me,
In a strange place, no more than a picture on paper.
Therefore I weep, that I may still have the luck
And pine for a day that will return
I shed a tear on the holy place,
At the graves of my parents there,
My home from my childhood, my home.”

During the years before and between the two world wars, for thirty years until August 1939, Nachum Sternheim created songs and hymns, full of Zionist and social content. There were songs of freedom and peace, songs against “wonderworkers” and clergy who hated and persecuted the Zionist movement. When we sing the songs of Sternheim even today, we shed a tear as we remember our fathers and mothers. We have no other place to shed our tears, for even the graves of our parents have disappeared in the cities of Poland.