Dzhankoye is a Yiddish Song about a farming collective.
November 25, 2009
Ven ikh nem
“Ven ikh nem gezegnen zikh” is a Yiddish song that’s very hard to find. It’s about a man telling his family he wants to join the Bolsheviks.
Yiddish:
Ven ikh nem gezegnen zikh
Mit der mame
Loyft di gantse shtib oyf gikh
Zikh tsuzamen
Loyft di gantse shtib oyf gikh
Zikh tsuzamen
Vi zhe geystu hey du yat?
Yusl shoyte
Vils gor veren a soldat bay die royte
Vils gor veren a soldat bay die royte
Es hobn di royte kayn giver
Kayn soldatn
Svet dem Bolshevik on dir
Gournit shatn
Svet dem Bolshevik on dir
Gournit shatn
Dan geshtanen dan bin ikh
Zey tsu zogn
Hudyet tsu beveynen mir
Hudyet klugn
Hudyet tsu beveynen mir
Hudyet klugn
English:
When I started saying goodbye
To my mother
Everyone in the house rushed in
All together
Everyone in the house rushed in
All together
So where the heck are you going
You jerk?
I want to be a solider with the red army
I want to be a solider with the red army
They have not guns
No soldiers
There will be Bolsheviks even without you
They wont miss you
There will be Bolsheviks even without you
They wont miss you
Then I stood up
to tell them
Its useless to cry for me
Its useless to wail
Its useless to cry for me
Its useless to wail
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Far Vos Af Yidish?
Eric Edelstein explains why it’s so important and so different to relate these life stories natively in Yiddish. A lot of people have been asking why we’re presenting these stories in Yiddish. If we had people speak in English, more people could share in the stories. And yes, that is true. And yet, it would be different. And something would be lost. This video attempts an explanation.
Eric Edelstein Biography
Eric Edelstein speaking about his life as part of the Vegn Zikh project
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Luisa Smith Talks about Yiddish and Her Life
Luisa Smith, from San Jose, CA. shares stories from her life.
Listen to how her parents survived the war, the refugee camps, how she grew up in New York, and studied at Der Arbiter Ring (Workman’s Circle).
Luisa sings some Yiddish songs and explains the impact they had on her life.
Luisa Smith and Eric Edelstein have a chat about her family.
