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Re: Dreydl

Title: Re: Dreydl
Lorele - I would not dismiss Susan Wolfe's claims out of hand. If memory serves me right Samuel Goldfarb was the rabbi (or cantor?) at one point at the Kane st. Synagogue in Brooklyn (conservative now, I don't know about then). He was my father-in-laws rabbi there when he attended about 1930-33. Goldfarb compiled the influential "Jewish Songster" collections and I had heard from my father-in-law that he composed the Sholem Aleichem melody that most Americans use now.

As for the dreydl song, I have yet to find it in a Gelbart collection. On the other hand Chana Mlotek served as advisor on the Western Wind "The Chanukah Story" CD, where Gelbart is credited as composer and writer, and she is the poysek-akhron on such matters. - Itzik

I would like to think that the Yiddish text came first, as "I am made from lead"
makes so much more sense than "I made it out of clay".  I read an article in a
publication called "Being Jewish" (Center for Relevant Judaism) by the
granddaughter of Samuel Goldfarb, whom she names as composer, and S. S. Grossman
as lyricist.

This woman, Susan Wolfe, also claims that Sam and his brother Israel wrote the
melodies for Shalom Aleichem, the Friday night Kiddush, Adon Olam and the
¢traditional" Birkhat Hamazon.

On the other hand, I think I remember seeing Gelbart books that have him down as
composer for tunes I have seen attributed to others.  He was so prolific and
wrote so many lovely and memorable melodies.  Anyone have inside info?

While I'm at it, I think I'll beef about Velvl Pasternak's Songs of Israel (I
think that's the name.  A friend of mine has it)  I was incredibly annoyed to
see Yiddish songs in this book in Hebrew.  No Yiddish lyrics were present.
Another thing that bugs me is the lack of attributions as to lyricist/composer
in many of his publications, including this one.

Lor(see how easily bugged I am?)ele


lenka lichtenberg wrote:

æÝæFrom what I understand, Ben Aaron wrote the Yiddish text, and Michl Gelbart
æÝthe tune, (as in the Workmen's Circle "Yontefdike Teg" collection), even
æÝthough Gelbart also lists the song as quite his own (no Ben Aaron) in a
æÝdifferent collection (in Yiddish). Who wrote the English text? I know there
æÝis some controversy if in fact Gelbart wrote the music or not, but he
æÝcertainly presented himself as such in these two publications, that were put
æÝout by people that knew him, and where he himself worked full-time - he
æÝcould have hardly only "pretended" that he wrote it, to them? dunno.
æ
æÝhappy spinning,     lenka
æ
æÝ?????ÝOriginal Message -----
æÝFrom: Lori Cahan-Simon <l_cahan (at) staff(dot)chuh(dot)org>
æÝTo: World music from a Jewish slant <jewish-music (at) shamash(dot)org>
æÝSent: Thursday, December 13, 2001 2:20 PM
æÝSubject: Dreydl
æ
æÝæÝThis has been bugging me for years.  Why do the English and Yiddish
æÝversions
æÝæÝof "I am a Little Dreydl" and "Ikh bin a kleyner dreydl" have the same
æÝtune,
æÝæÝdifferent words (obviously), but have different people listed as being the
æÝæÝcomposer for each version?  Which came first?  Who is the plagarist?  Who
æÝæÝshould be sued and who should be paid?
æÝæ
æÝæÝThis can't be a coincidence.
æÝæ
æÝæÝLor(the easily bugged)ele
æÝæ
æÝæ
æÝæ
æ

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