RE: what is a Shlomo song?

[Robert Cohen <rlcm17...>]

Coincidentally, I was just sent a Jerusalem Post story--mostly of admirably 
hortatory but nonmusical content--in honor of Shlomo Carlebach's, z"l, 
eighth yahrtzeit, which averred that "[O]f all the thousands of songs he 
composed, his favorite was Lema'an Ahai Verei'ai, "For the Sake of My 
Brothers and Friends...."

I have no idea if this was, in fact, Shlomo's own favorite niggun; but, as 
it happens, I also referred to it in a private response to the original 
poster on this Subject Head.  It certainly has a special status:  It's one 
of the only Shlomo niggunim with an English translation that he sang 
(another is "Return Again," which has its own story and at whose creation I 
was, thankfully, present), and--unlike, really, "Return Again"--it has a 
distinctly universalistic scope.  For both reasons, I imagine, Shlomo used 
to sing this niggun (with the English) at events at which he knew many 
non-Jews--and/or Jews of very little background--were present.

It also came to be sung by Catholics at some Catholic religious events--with 
their own translation, I believe.

--Robert Cohen






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