LYRIC
SHEMA YISRAEL- Yaakov Shwekey- Composed by Yitzy Waldner, Lyrics by Bella (Rotenberg) Levitan & Abie Rotenberg- Yedid
He raised his hand to wave goodbye
Saw the pain in mother’s eyes
Who left her little precious boy of four
In a citadel of ashen stone
That preached a faith unlike his own
Perhaps he may just yet survive this war.
In the shadows stood a man in black
My child he said, you must not look back
Yet one image lingered, the tears on her face
And mother’s words from their last embrace.
CHORUS:
Shema, Shema Yisrael
Know that there is but one G-d above,
When you feel pain, when you rejoice
Know how He longs to hear your voice,
Hashem Elokeinu, Hashem Echad.
Deep within the iron gate
Far from the stench of war and hate
He knew not of a world gone insane
You must believe us, he was told
Our faith alone can save your soul
Please let us heal your wounds and ease your pain.
He tried not to forget his past, his home
But he was so very young and all alone
While visions of his shtetl, so vivid and clear
Began to fade, and all but disappeared.
CHORUS:
Shema, Shema Yisrael
Know that there is but one G-d above,
When you feel pain, when you rejoice
Know how He longs to hear you voice,
Hashem Elokeinu, Hashem Echad.
The winds of war had finally passed
One man took on a sacred task
To bring the scattered Jewish children home
He travelled far, from place to place
A quest to reignite the faith
Of those sent into hiding long ago.
He entered the fortress grey and cold
Your kind is not among us, he was told
Hashem above, he whispered, please don’t let me fail
As he began to sing Shema Yisrael.
CHORUS:
Shema, Shema Yisrael
Know that there is but one G-d above,
When you feel pain, when you rejoice
Know how He longs to hear your voice,
Hashem Elokeinu, Hashem Echad.
Shema, Shema Yisrael
Know that there is but one G-d above,
When you feel pain, when you rejoice
Know how He longs to hear your voice,
Hashem Elokeinu, Hashem Echad.