The Rebbe Elimelech

It's an old-world Yiddish tune, and we love it.  Here's Concealed Light on flute playing "Der Rebbe Elimelech," which, incidentally, was written in 1927.  And that year is a permutation of a number we hold so dear to our hearts (yeah yeah, we know the  prediction in that link didn't come true last Chanukah.  Still doesn't matter.  127 totally rocks).




Here are the words (in transliterated Yiddish...Stango will be very unhappy to see "nisht oys"...not a single Hebrew letter...so it goes) if you didn't check out the Wiki link I included above

Az der Rebbe Elimeylekh

Iz gevorn zeyer freylekh,

(Iz gevorn zeyer freylekh, Elimeylekh,)

Hot er oysgeton di tfilin

Un hot ongeton di briln

Un geshikt nokh di fidlers di tsvey.

Un di fidldike fidlers

Hobn fidldik gefidlt.

Hobn fidldik gefildt hobn zey!

(x2)

Az der Rebbe Elimeylekh

Iz gevorn mer nokh freylekh,

Iz gevorn mer nokh freylekh, Elimeylekh,

Hot er opgemakht havdole

Mitn shames Reb Naftole

Un geshikt nokh di payklers di tsvey.

Un di paykeldike payklers

Hobn paykeldik gepaykelt.

Hobn paykeldik gepaykelt hobn zey!

(x2)

Az der Rebbe Elimeylekh

Iz gevorn GOR SHTARK freylekh,

Iz gevorn gor shtark freylekh Elimeylekh,

Hot er oysgeton dos kitl

Un hot ongeton dos hitl

Un geshikt nokh di tsimblers di tsvey.

Un di tsimbeldika tsimblers

Hobn tsimbeldik getsimbelt.

Hobn tsimbeldik getsimbelt hobn zey!

(x2)

Yiddish Tunes. You read that right.

When you've got a resident Yiddish speaker and musician at your disposal (as if the world is clamoring for such a gem), what better way to spend a Labor Day Sunday than to upload some Yiddish tunes courtesy of our lovely Stango?

Since we're missing our khaverim at the Golus Festival at Yiddish Farm this weekend and just couldn't make it upstate, we dedicate these videos to them.

If you wanna get really fancy, check out the descriptions below each of these videos (on the YouTube page itself) for the transliterations and translations of the songs.

Let Our Salvation Come



Our Tune

Yiddish Farm

Jews are farming today.  Jews care about the environment.  That's old news.  The Jewish Farm School has been farming since 2006.  Hazon, the premier Jewish environmental organization, has been educating and bike riding for longer.

But now comes the Yiddish Farm where you can not only farm in a Jewish tradition, but speak and learn Yiddish at the same time.  It is bringing together Jews from all walks of life.  And it's quite a spin on the organic farm trend in our culture.

Naftali Ejdelman, along with Yisroel Bass, founded the Yiddish farm a couple of years ago.  This year they are farming the land in Goshen, New York, along with about 10 other full time residents.    We are fortunate to personally know Naftali, and are thrilled for the coverage about Yiddish Farm in this week's Forward.

Now what about this music video filmed there?

More Shtuff Folks Say...This Time It's Those New York (Jews) Again

Oh those New Yorkers.  Clever they are.  Watching this video reminded me of my first subway ride alone in Manhattan in January 1995.  I know that My People are so small in numbers, and yet it warmed me when I overheard two women on the subway talking about upcoming bar mitzvah plans.

Eliot and Ilana Glazer capture good stuff here.  And when you include the words shlep (Yiddish for "lug stuff."  Not derogatory) and schmuck (Yiddish for "complete and inane jerk."  Fully derogatory, yet accepted as ok to use in casual conversation.)  in your "generic" parody of the original Sh*t Girls Say, you gotta remember that in New York you don't have to be Jewish but it don't hurt to be.  Pat Kiernan, what do you think?

Why is it that countless Elliots and Eliots are yidden (Yiddish word for Jews.  Not derogatory).  One of life's mysteries.  Also, guys named Yale.

Did Dr. Dre ever spin the Dreidel?

Highly unlikely, but hey, ya never know.

The humble little dreidel is so part of our experience with Chanukah, and yet does anyone know why it's called a dreidel?


Ester Shahaf design

It's a Yiddish word, no doubt.

To "dre" is to spin. A dreidel spins.
When you add on the "el" that gives it diminutive, cutesy-ness element.
So it's a little spinning top.

The Whole Phamily loves Yiddish - it's part of our Ashkenasic heritage. And dreidel is in Yiddish.
But we like to say sivivon also, which is the Hebrew word for dreidel.

This is no Dr. Dre, but here's a familiar tune, "Oh Hanukkah Oh Hanukkah" in Yiddish.