Re: G-d un doss kelbl

[Joshua Horowitz <horowitz...>]

Budowitz Website: http://www.budowitz.com

Thanks for the correction Wolf. I think maybe the Lp that the Mloteks are
referring to is by the German Folk group, Zupfgeigenhansl, which was the
first one to play anything Jewish after the war, as far as I know. I
couldn't find anything in there about "longing for freedom", though it does
credit Katzenelson with writing the the song in the Warsaw ghetto, calling
it "Dos Kelbl." Josh

> Hi Josh:
>
> According to Eleanor Gordon Mlotek and Joseph Mlotek this information is
> untrue, even though it has appeared in print in otherwise reputable
> collections, among them Ben Yomen's (1946).  They also  write that on a "
> recent record produced in Germany, not only is the song attributed to
> Katznelson, it is also interpreted as having been written in the Ghetto to
> expressd Jews' longing for freedom."  (Pearls of Yiddish Song)
>
> As the song was performed in NYC in 1940, the story that it was written in
> Warsaw Ghetto c.1942 does not appear to be true.
>
>
> Wolf
>
>
> Joshua Horowitz wrote:
>
>> Budowitz Website: http://www.budowitz.com
>>
>> I thought that Itzak Katsenelson wrote the song after his wife and 2
>> children were deported from the Warsaw ghetto in 1942 to Auschwitz where
>> they were murdered. He was later murdered himself in Auschwitz in 1944. Josh
>>
>> >From: Reyzl Kalifowicz-Waletzky <reyzl (at) flash(dot)net>
>> >To: World music from a Jewish slant <jewish-music (at) shamash(dot)org>
>> >Subject: RE: G-d un doss kelbl
>> >Date: Fri, Feb 23, 2001, 11:50 AM
>> >
>>
>> > This is true about Bikel.
>> >
>> > The original word as the composer and lyricist sang and wrote it were
>> > "dana, dana".  (I heard it myself from the composer, Wolf Younin, whom I
>> > knew well.)  It later got changed to "dona", but I can't remember by whom
>> > or why.  Was this just the folk process or Theodore Bikel decision?  There
>> > are many people around who would know the history of this song to answer
>> > most questions.  But I am sure that it had nothing to do with "adonay".
>> >
>> >
>> > Reyzl Kalifowicz-Waletzky
>> >
>> >
>> > ----------
>> > From:  Kame'a Media [SMTP:media (at) kamea(dot)com]
>> > Sent:  Friday, February 23, 2001 2:04 PM
>> > To:  World music from a Jewish slant
>> > Subject:  Re: G-d un doss kelbl
>> >
>> > Hi Paula:
>> >
>> > I believe Theodore Bikel sings it: "Donay, donay, donay...."
>> > But I agree Michel may be trying to read too much into it.
>> >
>> > Wolf
>> >
>> > PTAW85 (at) aol(dot)com wrote:
>> >
>> >> That's the first time I've heard it.  I have heard many native
>> >> Yiddish-speaking singers do this song, and never have I heard anyone
>> >> pronounce the words in the chorus other than "Dona, dona".  I think you
>> > may
>> >> be trying to read too much into it.
>> >>
>> >> Paula Teitelbaum
>> >>
>> >> In a message dated 2/23/01 8:41:24 AM, borzykowski (at) infomaniak(dot)ch 
>> >> writes:
>> >>
>> >> << In the famous song "Doss kelbl", the chorus "Dona dona", pronounced
>> > with a
>> >> *good* yiddish accent sounds like "Donay donay".
>> >>
>> >> I always wondered whether it was another way to call for G-d without
>> >> pronouncing His name and without singing "Hashem" (that obviously sound
>> > like
>> >> a fake).
>> >>
>> >> Any opinion?
>> >>
>> >> Michal (tso kikhal) >>
>> >>
>> >
>> >
>> >
>> >
>>
>
>
> 

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