The Little Bird

SONGS FOR REMINISCING

THE OFFICIAL SONGBOOK OF THE BHI ALUMNAE LINK

(this is a work in progress – we welcome your additions)

English Songs …………………………………………………………………… 2

SONGS BY BHIERS ………………………………………………………………… 6

Shabbos Songs ……………………………………………………………..……… 9

Yom TOV SONGS:

CHANUKAH …………………………………………………………………… 11

THESE ARE THE TIMES TO REMEMBER…

There is a place we’ve come to know

As though it was our second home

We learned, we cared, we laughed and we shared,

You taught us all how to grow – you taught us how to grow.

We’ve been together these past few years

Our smiles have emerged from beneath the tears

Friends holding on to a bond that lives on.

A love that perseveres – a love that perseveres.

CHORUS:

These are the times to remember because they will soon slip away,

These are the days to hold onto - for soon they will be yesterday.

These are the friendships to cherish and this is a love that won’t die

All the memories of good times. For soon we will have to say…

Never, never will we say – GOODBYE.

Mayim Rabim Lo Yachlu Lchvos

Though times may send us separate ways,

One day we’ll meet and with no need to speak

We’ll smile and remember yesterday,

We’ll remember the love we shared each day.

TOGETHER

All of the places we’ve seen

No one will ever know

And we never asked why or looked back

When it was time for us to go

There were gates of iron and walls of stone

Keeping us separate, feeling alone

CHORUS:

But together we can open the gates that were closed so long

Together, we are hearing sounds of a distant song

Together, breaking the chains of our past

Together you know we can last

But only together.

Nobody knows how much longer

The walls will hold

Keeping us separate from each other

Keeping us alone

But no walls of stone can really keep us apart

It’s the walls that were build within our hearts…

THE LITTLE BIRD

The little bird is calling
It wishes to return
The little bird is wounded
It cannot cry but yearns
It's captured by the vultures
It’s crying bitterly
Oh to see my nest again
Oh to be redeemed
The little bird of silver
So delicate and rare
Still chirps among the vultures
Outshining all that's there.
How long, how long it suffers
How long will it be
When will come the eagle
And set the little bird free
The little bird is Yisroel
The vultures are our foes
The painful wound is Galus
Which we all feel and know
The nest is Yerusholayim
Which we yearn to see once more
The eagle is Moshiach
Whom we are waiting for /

MY DEAR IMA

My dear Ima
I'm writing this letter
To say the things I never said
Of my impressions as your child
These thoughts are running
Through my head
As far back as I can remember
You said Shema with me at night
Each week I saw you welcome Shabbos
I saw your candles burning bright
You made our home a house of Torah
Encouraged Abba to learn each night
You stood behind him during hard times
You gave him strength in your own way
You taught us all about the mitzvos
Showed us the right way from the start
We always saw your love for Torah
And you instilled it in our hearts
Now your children have grown older
Each one has gone his separate way
Yet we still follow in your footsteps
You made us what we are today
Now your daughter is a mother
She does the things you used to do
Not only did you build your own home
But Ima, you built my home too

YERUSHALAYIM

There’s a place in my mind - somewhere deep in my mind

That keeps me dreaming.

And its hills are aglow - and the wind gently blows

It seems to be singing.

Singing our song – yours and mine

The one we’ve been singing all this time

Chale lecha shiiraich ani kinor.

And its people are poor - yet they open their doors

So kind and so giving.

Every street has its name - men who rose to great fame

Their memory is living.

Living within the streets they’ve been in

Shedding a light where it was dim.

Chale lecha shiiraich ani kinor.

Yerushalaim, I dream of you

Yerushalaim, my heart is with you

When I close my eyes, I can see

A beautiful sky, blossoming trees,

A wide open gate, leading me to your city.

Yerushalaim, I’m singing your song

Yerushalaim, it’s been oh so long

When I dream of you I can feel

This dream will come true it is something real

And when my eyes open I will see

The dream I’ve been dreaming.

Every crack in the wall - without words says it all

Our tears have been many.

In the moonlight I pray - and the words that I say

Are few if any.

But I dream of a lane where I want to remain

And when I just sing my mind carries me

Chale lecha shiiraich ani kinor.

I can see all its kings - and an eagle with wings

Protecting its young ones.

The Leve’em are singing - the Cohanim are bringing

Korbanos for all.

And they’re singing our song, the very same song

The one we’ve been singing all along

Chale lecha shiiraich ani kinor.

TORAH SCROLL

I was made way back in 1842
By a humble man, a real G-d fearing Jew
Who did his work with honesty
With feeling and with pride
He was known in Kiev as Yankele the Scribe
With loving care his hand so sure and still
He formed me with some parchment, ink, and quill
Each day he’d slowly add to me
Just a few more lines
With words to last until the end of time
And on the day that I was finally complete
The whole town came and filled the narrow street
And they sang and danced and held me high
And carried me away
To the little wooden shul where I would stay
And as the Rabbi held me close against his chest
He spoke out loud and clear to all the rest
He said no matter if you’re very young
Or even if you’re old
Live by the words you’ll find inside this scroll
Three days a week they read from me out loud
It filled my soul with joy it made me proud
They followed each and every verse
With fire in their eyes
The words that told them how to live their lives
I watched the generations come and go
I saw the old men die, the children grow
But never in a century
Did I miss my turn once
For the fathers they had let me with their sons / But the hatred from the West came to Kiev
And they rounded up the Jews who had not fled
But Moishele the Shames
He was brave and he was bold
He hid me in a cellar dark and cold
And for years and years I waited all alone
For the people of my town to take me home
And they’d sing and dance and hold me high
When they carried me away
To my little wooden shul where I would stay
But it was someone else who found my hiding place
And to America he sent me in a crate
And the men who took me off the boat
They said I was a prize
But they were Jews I did not recognize
And in a case of glass they put me on display
Where visitors would look at me and say
How very nice, how beautiful
A stunning work of art
But they knew not what was inside my heart
And across the room I saw upon the shelf
Some old friends of mine who lived back in Kiev
A sliver pair of candlesticks
A menorah made of brass
We’d all become mere echoes of the past
So if you hear my voice why don’t you come along
And take me to the place where I belong
And maybe even sing and dance
When you carry me away
To some little wooden shul where I could stay
And as the Rabbi’ll hold me close against his chest
He’ll speak out loud and clear to all the rest
He’ll say no matter if you’re very young
Or even if you’re old
Live by the words you find inside this scroll

LIGHT UP THE SPARK IN YOU

(Lyrics and Music By Miss Calek)

LIGHT up the spark in you

Light up your soul

Reach every goal

We’re a song history has always sung

The melody is old, the voice is young

We’re the fabulous story that has no end

So come and join the legend my friend!

We are growing, we are growing

We are growing in the light

And we’ll shine still in the evening

As the sunset turns to night/ our glow is ever bright

Our words are ancient as the hills

Our line of ancestry is long

And our candle lights up the way for us

Illuminates the right and wrong

It’s a circle we belong to

It’s a circle of light

And we’re holding out our hands to you

So we’ll dance together through the night.

“LESSONS OF THE SUMMER”-

TEAM SUMMER COLOR WAR THEME SONG (1999)

(Lyrics by Tanya Levine; to the tune of the new “Hamalach Hagoel”)

The sun is slowly rising

It brings a brand new day

Restoring all creations

With each golden ray

Each day a new beginning

Each sunrise a rebirth

Each summer day a treasure

With beauty that fills our earth

CHORUS:

Might and majesty of trees

The warm summer breeze

In a whisper they all teach

The heights we can reach.

We will learn and we will grow

There’s so much yet to know

Together we’ll strive for the sky…

“WATER CAN’T BEAT BLOOD” -

TEAM ACHIM COLOR WAR THEME SONG (1998)

(Lyrics by Tanya Krasnov; to the tune of “Everything I Do”)

Look inside your heart, you will see,

What’s there – family,

Search your heart, search your soul,

When family’s there, you need search no more.

There’s nothing like Achdus that we share,

BHI siblings, everyone will care,

You know it’s true, all that ACHIM do,

They do it for you…

They give not from the hand, from the heart,

A love till end from start,

Money just can’t buy a bond this real,

This give and take is a package deal.

All for one and one for all,

We can’t help it, there’s nothing we want more.

You know it’s true, all that ACHIM do, they do it for you.

There’s no love like we’ve had,

‘Cuz water can’t beat blood.

There’s no way unless they’re there,

All the time, all the way…

(melody)

CHORUS:

All for one and one is for all,

We can’t help it, there’s nothing we want more.

Yes, they’d fight for you, cry for you,

Live and die for you, yeah, they would for you…

You know it’s true, all that ACHIM do,

They do it for you.

(2 times)

AROUND THE WORLD

(From Miss Bojman’s History Class)

See as we span the continents – from the Alps to the Orient

Using pesos in Mexico

Buying souvenirs on the road-

Learning sights and sounds of each nation as we go…

Docking in Scandinavia - take a train onto Romania

Climb the Eiffel Tower in France

Give the Russian Kremlin a glance-

Bridging worlds apart with our universe so vast!

Around the world in history – journey internationally

As we tour in joyous song

Join the ride and come along (second time – why don’t you come along?)

THE THIRTEEN COLONIES

(Some more from Miss Bojman’s History Class)

Connecticut, are you for independence?