CD Reviews

There is no copyright date on this rare vinyl album. The cover has photos of Jewish people in the Holocaust, the six million, and Jewish people in the Soviet Union, the three million. The music appears to be from a live concert, with the Clei Zemer Orchestra as the backing band.

Shlomo Carlebach is the main ingredient with his acoustic guitar and soaring, passionate voice. He often interrupts the simple catchy choruses and breaks it down in an English spoken word segment. Other instruments include flute, bass, drums, and a general ethnic folk-rock vibe. Songs like Uvnay Yerusholayim are fast and hand-clap inducing. But other tracks are slow and intense, the music reflecting the subject matter. The songs Uvnay Yerusholayim and Hu Elokeinu also appear on the Live in Hebron concert cassette along with singer Chaim David. As a public service the lyrics/spoken word segments have been transcribed as well as the back cover liner notes.

SHLOMO CALEBACH
UVNAI YERUSHOLAYIM
Six million in heaven
Three million in hell

Dedication

Dedicated to Jerusalem, the city of G-d, the heart of the world, the soul of Israel. To Jerusalem, which is built with the fire of Auschwitz and the snow of Siberia, with every tear, with every prayer, with every song, with every dance. The city where man was first created and ultimately all of mankind will become human again. The city where man first prayed and where on the great day the whole world will pray together. The city where the river of tears began and where on the great day, the tears will begin to dance. To the city where G-d is nearer, the whole world closest, the city of peace -- to Jerusalem.
To those who died for Jerusalem.
To those who dream of Jerusalem.
To those who love for Jerusalem.
To the Six Million who are our soul, to the Three Million who are our dream. To Jerusalem which is our life. I will not rest until the six million rebuild the Holy Temple. I will not be happy until the whole world dances in Jerusalem. We met on the way -- we will meet again -- soon -- in Jerusalem

UVNAI YERUSHOLAYIM – REBUILD JERUSALEM

Rebuild Jerusalem! The city which awakens all that is holy and beautiful.
Whenever a Jew eats, he remembers Jerusalem. The non-G-d fearing people eat to have strength to destroy the world. The G-d fearing people eat to have strength to rebuild Jerusalem – and via Jerusalem, the whole world. In Hebrew the words bread, fight and dream have the same letters – i.e. lechem, lochaim, chalom. Some people eat to have strength to fight. A Jew eats to have strength to dream – G-d’s dream. Rebuilding Jerusalem. Uvnay yerusholayim ihr hakodesh bimhayro v’yomayno. (Grace after meal)

Last night I prayed by the holy wall
Last night I prayed by the holy wall
And I asked the Almighty all my questions
If you are you the one who loves the world
If you are the one who cares for every little creature
If you are you the one who gave us the Holy Land
Where were you when six million walked into to the gas chambers
Where are you when people break each other’s heart
Where are you when houses are destroyed
And I looked up to heaven and I heard the angels singing
And I knew the Almighty is on his way to do great things
Because whatever happens in the world
Is only a preparation for this one great thing



THE HILLS AND THE VALLEYS – Hehorim Rokdu

The mountains dance like rams, and the hills like lambs. (But while they dance, they cry.) Tremble earth, before G-d. Tremble world, before the Holiness of the children of Jacob.
Two holy rabbis sitting on the hills of Jerusalem asked ach other "Can you see the hills dancing?" They answered yes. They asked each other: "Why are they dancing?" The 1st said: "They are dancing because two friends are sitting on them." Someday all the hills of the world will be dancing because two friends will turn them into hills of Jerusalem – The other said: "They are the hills of Jerusalem, how could they not dance."

Have you seen
Have you seen
Have you seen the hills of Yerusholayim dancing
Have you heard
Have you heard them cry while they danced

Long time ago
Long time ago
We all lived on the hills of Yerusholayim
But then we went into exile
We went into the valley
One valley was called Inquisition
One valley was called Auschwitz
And the last valley is called Siberia
So how can the hill dance
As long as the valley is still in exile

On the great day
On the great day
When from all the four corners of the world
From all the valleys
We will come back to Yerusholayim
The people from the valley
Will tell the people of the hill
When you were crying
Your tears rolled into the valley
And your tears are so high
And the people of the hill will tell to the people of the valley
Your prayers got caught in the hills
And your prayers are so deep
And the valley and the hill get together
The six million and the three million
Will dance together
Israel and the world will sing together
G-d and the angels will gather us to Yerusholayim
And the whole world will dance together
That holy hill



A SONG TO OPEN PRISONS

Release all prisoners (the whole world is still a prison). Redeem the humble (redeem the world from, false humility). Help the poor (help the rich to know how poor they are, and help the poor to know how rich they are.) Please G-d answer Israel’s prayer. (G-d’s answer to the world is "have you ever heard my people pray?")

Last year the fourth night of Hanukah all of Israel was standing by the Holy Wall praying for the people of the landing, of the landing on trial. I was with them. Suddenly we heard over the radio that they were sentenced to death, G-d forbid. I put the guitar back in the case. And some great rabbi standing next to me "What are you doing? This is the time to make up a new song." I took my guitar out again. Opened a prayer book and there it said Motzi assiryim….. G-d opens all the prisons. There’s Someone up there who redeems all the humble. Because is there anybody more humble then the Russian Jews? They’re the holy of holiness and they don’t even know about it….. He helps all the poor, the Yiddilach in Russia…they’re so holy they’re so poor and they’re so sweet. They’re on their way to Yerusholayim. G-d promised us you’ll listen to our prayers. Just one time G-d listen to us this time. Don’t let them die. Can’t wait to see all of them in Yerusholayim by the Holy Wall.



LONGING FOR SHABBOS

The most longed for day, the holy Shabbos, the day which gives us back the strength to begin again, three things are called chemda, which means longing and wanting in an absolute crazy way (holy craziness): Shabbos, the Torah, and Israel. A true Jew is possessed by this holy, incurable craziness. Shabbos gives us back this Holy Craziness. I will not sleep until the three million pray by the Holy Wall.



HU ELOKAINU

He is our G-d, He is our Father, He is our King, He is our true friend. But He will speak to us just once more and bring forth so much flight that the whole world will now that there is but one G-d.

Old Chassidim said: "We knew there is one G-d", but the Baal Shemtov taught us "it really is so". The voice from Mt. Sinai teaches us all that is holy and beautiful, but there will be a voice from Jerusalem telling the world is really is so. And then -- it really will be so – Amen.

You spoke to us once
On Mount Sinai
But the whole world did not hear you
So we are asking you Almighty
Speak to us just once more
Let us hear your voice just once more
But this time let the whole world see it
Let the whole world hear it
And we promise you
We promise you that the whole world will know
That you are there
That you are there that you our G-d
So therefore



JERSALEM IS NOT FORGOTTEN

I would forget my right hand (my own soul) before I forget you Jerusalem. Even greater than all the joys of the world is the joy of knowing Jerusalem. Memory is the purest expression of the soul. One can be forced to know but not forced to remember. We only remember what touches our soul. We Jews cannot forget Jerusalem because we cannot live without it.

There is no pain in the world
Which can make us forget Yerusholyaim
There is no joy in the world
Which can make us forget Yerusholyaim
For two thousand years whenever we prayed
And we prayed all the time
We directed our thoughts,
Our feet
Our minds
To Yerusholyaim
If you would have stopped a little Yiddilah
On his way to the gas chambers
If you would as him what are you thinking about
He would answer
I am thinking of Yerusholyaim
I’m on my way to Yerusholayim
If you would stop a little Yiddilah
On his way to Siberia
What are you thinking about
He will answer
I’m thinking of Yerusholayim
I’m on my way
I’m on my way
To Yerusholayim



ANGELS WALK WITH YOU

May the angels walk with you to guard you on your way, but let G-d watch your coming and your going into the now and into eternity.
This was composed for our first group from the House of Love and Prayer in San Francisco. Alex and Miriam, Natan and Ahuva who in 1968 left for Jerusalem and for the Russian Jews via old Siberia to warm Jerusalem. May they get there, Amen.

Menorah Records Inc.