Journeys 5 | My Little Town Featuring Shulem Lemmer

There were six hundred people in my little
town when they came on that cold winter day
I remember the crying, the running, the
smoke, and the boxcars that took us away
We held on to each other and spoke words
of hope, hiding the terror inside
There were six hundred people in my little
town, but I, only I, would survive
I can still smell the fresh morning bread that
I’d buy for Mama each day
Henyak, the baker, would first pinch my
cheek, then hand me a keichel and say
Mach a Brocha mein kindt, we owe it to Him.
He made our world so very sweet
And wherever life leads you, never forget siz
gut – tzu zayn a Yid
Mutek and I were two of a kind, like brothers
the very best of friends
Playing all day in the streets of the Shtetl,
growing from boys into men
We would carry water to all of the shops, for
only five groschen a pail
But first, we’d learn Torah in our little shul,
an hour or two without fail
I’ll never forget when the Shidduch was Redt.
Papa came home with the news
Mutek to my sister, Roizah, in no time, the
match was approved
Blessed by the Heilige Rebbe himself, a date
for the wedding was set
And whoever I met for the next week or two
said to me, soon you’ll be next
The tables were set, Henyak baked the
sweets, Shneiderman finished the gown
Laughter and joy could be felt in the air, with
music heard all through the town
What a radiant bride, my dear Roizah was,
the groom looking handsome and strong
And after his shoe came down on the glass,
the townsfolk all burst out in song
לוק םילשורי תוצוחבו הדוהי ירעב עמשי דוע
הלכ לוקו ןתח לוק החמש לוקו ןושש
And there face to face, in joyous embrace, in
the center of the crowd
Mutek and I danced into the night, round
and round, round and round……
There were six hundred people in my little
town – but I, only I, would survive

WORDS & MUSIC BY:Chananya Rotenberg
ARRANGED BY: Leib Yaakov Rigler