[HANASHIR:13801] Re: Achshav

[Jag121842 <Jag121842...>]

       I believe that the song Achshav was originally written "Achshav 
Achshav. B'eimek Yiz'r'el" which means "Now, now, in the valley of Jezreel."  
(At least this is how it is written in the Shireinu).  I often hear the song 
sung, "Achshav Achshav.  B'eretz Yisrael"--"Now, now, in the land of Israel." 
 
       I fight about this song with the other songleaders in my region of 
NFTY all the time.  Though the song was originally written "B'emeik 
Yiz'r'el," 1) Few people sing it this way, and 2) When teaching the song to 
younger kids, they are excited to recognize the word Yisrael as Israel, and 
will not have a clue what the valley of Jezreel is.  I teach the song as 
B'eretz Yisrael, because if I don't, people will sing it that way anyway, and 
if I teach the other words, people are simply confused.  (I teach all ages 
"B'eretz Yisrael," because it's the only version of the song I hear sung, and 
I choose to follow in this tradition, mostly because I like "B'eretz Yisrael" 
much more--it, at least in terms of teaching Hebrew words and singing words 
people may recognize and connect with, makes more sense to me)
       So, is this the right thing to do?  What do you all think?  
Furthermore, when a melody of a song changes, is it a problem to teach the 
changed melody?  Should we teach a song the way it was originally written if 
the group of people we're teaching it to (for example, a camp community) 
sings it a different way?

Josh Goldsmith
NFTY-STR Head Songleader

P.S. Also, if anyone knows why the song was written (or at least at some 
point was "B'eimek Yiz'r'el," I'm sure facts on why this version of the song 
actually makes any sense would help some of us out.