Friday, June 24, 2005

S J M   I S O   T S T G A

(Single Jewish Male In Search Of The Song That Got Away)

My mother came to Israel (for the first time ever!) to visit me for my graduation from my tokhnit lehakhsharat morim, and I took her touring around the country. The Saturday Night that we were in Jerusalem, we drove up to Ben Yehuda street (here's a tip: NEVER EVER DO THAT, the parking was WHORRIBLE) in our rental car so my mom could do the whole touristy go shopping on the midrahhov thing and buy trinkets and tchotchkas to bring back to the States.

On the way there, we were cruising down the hilly Jerusalem roads and i was flipping stations on the car radio since Gal[galgal]galatz was playing bad techno/trance music. Someplace in the vicinity of Galgalatz (=93.9fm) we stumbled across what seemed to be a religious station, and it was playing a song seemingly based on Yirmeyahu 31:14-16, the famous image of the matriarch Rahheil mourning the Jews who are being taken away to exile:
Thus says God:
A voice is heard in Rama — lamentation and bitter weeping, Rahheil weeping for her children; she refuses to be comforted for her children, because they are not.
Thus says God:
Refrain your voice from weeping, and your eyes from tears; for there is a reward for your work — this is God's declaration — and they will return from the enemy's land. And there is hope for your future — this is God's declaration — and children will return to their own border.
What i found interesting (and really cool) about the song was that it wasn't simply the Biblical text set to music, as many composers and songwriters have done with various parts of this prophecy. The lyrics were original, but obviously rooted in Yirmeyahu's words and phrasing.

All i can remember from the song is what i jotted down on my cellphone:
...ani mavtiahh lakh Rahheil...
("...I promise you, Rahheil...")


So, has anyone else ever heard this song, or know a way to track it down?
Any and all assistance is appreciated, and if you want a reward I can go to Ben Yehuda street and get you a touristy trinket or tchotchka... ;-)

3 Comments:

Blogger AMSHINOVER said...

i hope you don't mean der mama rachel cries fur hur childreeeeen

6/27/2005 1:37 PM  
Blogger Steg (dos iz nit der šteg) said...

No sir, it was definitely in Hebrew.

Btw, what happened to your old picture? I think i liked it better... this new one gives the impression that you have multiple personalities— although i guess that does explain a lot... ;-)

6/27/2005 4:04 PM  
Blogger AMSHINOVER said...

all 3 are jabotinsky

6/27/2005 4:58 PM  

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