Re: Kachol v'Lavan

[Moshe Denburg <denburg...>]

Dear Linda,

You wrote:

>>I am trying to find some background information on the song "Kachol v'Lavan" ,
>>the song about the Israeli flag. Who wrote it, and in what circumstances was
>>it written? I seem to recall having heard something about a Russian refusenik
>>who composed it using all the Hebrew vocabulary he was able to muster. Is this
>>a factual account? I would appreciate any details, including the name of the
>>composer/lyricist (assuming they are one and the same).
>>

In the Anthology of Yiddish Folksongs (The Hebrew University of Jerusalem,
Magnes Press, 1987; edited by Aharon Vinkovetzky, Abba Kovner, and Sinai
Leichter), the original is presented in Yoddish, entitled:

'Mir Zingen "Kakhol Velavan"'

The text is by Y. Kerler; the music is by Y. Reshel.

There are Hebrew lyrics as well, in a fine modern Hebrew. It is not clear to
me who wrote these, but I have heard simpler Hebrew versions that may indeed
have been written by olim who had sparse knowledge of the language.

The appended notes say that the song was written and sung among the Jewish
groups in the former Soviet Union dedicated to aliyah.

-Moshe Denburg