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Notes from Cantor Avima

Geshem! Geshem! 

11/05/2024 10:19:47 AM

Nov5

On the last day of the holiday of Sukkot, we inserted a prayer for God to deliver rain during the winter months in the land of Israel.We continue inserting the words "mashiv haru-ach u'mo-rid hagashem" until the begining of Passover when we recite the prayer for dew.We could also use some rain in NJ. I thought it would be fun to explore some Israeli songs around the theme of rain - "geshem" (rain) and "mayim" (water) 

Probably the most famous water song is the well known "Mayim" dance we all learned as children. The words come from the book of Isaiah: "Joyfully you shall draw water from the fountains of triumph". The music was composed by Emanuel Pugachov. More than one dancer  takes credit for choreographing the dance. It was likely choreogoraphed in 1937 for a kibbutz dance festival celebrating the discovery of water on a kibbutz  in the desert. Here is just one youtube video of the song: Mayim, Mayim. 

In my perusing the internet background of the song and searching youtube  videos, I found a fascinating  detail I had never known. Apparently, the song and the folkdance has made into one of the most unlikely cultures - Japan! For a (25 minutes) fascinating video about this: The Folk Song Everyone Knows in Japan. 

Here is another really cute Israeli rain song is : "Sh'neinu Yachad Tachat Mitriyah Achat/Two Of Us Under One Umbrella" by Naomi Shemer. Sh'neinu Yachad Tachat Mitriyah Acaht/Two Of Us Under One Umbrella`

THE TWO OF US TOGETHER 

What luck: I decided to come to the second theatre show
what luck, it started to rain such luck that you didn't have an umbrella

What luck, I recognized your face, such luck, you smiled at me suddenly
what luck: you offered to walk together with you, you said - there's room.

The two of us together under one umbrella, the two of us skipping over all the puddles
a city in the rain speaks to us like this -life is beatiful, it's worthwhile for you to live!

What luck, we were late for the movie, such luck that the tickets were sold out
all the streets were flooded by a thundering storm a colourful light thrown out by the lanterns

The lightning came and lit the whole horizon, a great thunder put out the lightning
suddenly fear weakened my heartbeat, what luck that I held on to your strongly!

What luck that the rain stopped falling, and the sky cleared up over the city
if the separation was a bit moving, then the blame is on the weather.

Nobody asked if we'll go on and meet again, (a wind blew, it was a bit late)
but whenever the city's flooded with rain, the two of us surely see the same thing:

 

 

 

 

Wed, April 30 2025 2 Iyyar 5785