Notes from Cantor Avima

     Last Shabbat (yes, I am about a week late on this topic) we read familiar words in the torah portion referring to the land of Canaan as a land flowing with milk and honey.. In fact those words are all over the Torah. In Hebrew: "Eretz Zavat Chalav U'D'vash".   The words are meant to convey that the land is fertile and bountiful. You may be familiar wtih the folksong, written in the 1950's- 1960's by a dance choreographer, Eliyahu Gamliel. The song has only 4 words.

     Here is a video of the song with the dance:   Eretz Zavat Chalav dance

     A few weeks ago I found a very surprising youtube of the famous Jazz singer, Nina Simone singing the song. It turns out that it is likely that  she learned it from  Shlomo Carlebach who she met when they were travelling the club circuit. This recording is AMAZING! 

Eretz Zavat Chalav - Nina Simone

     Here is one more rendition... Eretz Zavat Chalav Josh Nelson

     If you don't already know the song, hopefully you are familiar with it now, and I bet after hearing three versions, it will stick in your ear.