The Songs

1. “LIFE’S LESSONS”

Sid: Come out my little friends

Come out from your hiding.

I’m not here to hurt you

I just want to teach you

I want to teach you lessons

I think you ought to know

And so I’ll sing this little song

And this is how it goes...

You’ve got to...

Chorus:

 Have a lot of patience

Have respect for others

Learn from everybody 

And admit to your mistakes

You must be content with what you have,

And practice self control

And if you do not do these things

You’ll be taken from this world

Listen to the lessons of the rabbis

Ha’Kappar Ben Zoma and Hillel

They’re rockin’ when they’re talkin’

Bout’ the meaning of life,

And if you listen to their lessons

You’ll do well.

You’ve got to honor other creatures, 

Respect their awesome features

I will be your teacher

In all these crazy things

Envy and desire 

Will make you a dirty liar

Your pants will catch on fire

For a whole entire day!

Listen to the lessons of the rabbis

Ha’Kappar Ben Zoma and Hillel

They’re rockin’ when they’re talkin’

Bout’ the meaning of life,

And if you listen to their lessons

You’ll do well.

2. Workers' Chorus

Chorus:  Where are the roads paved with gold?

Where is our justice, true and bold?

We came here to prosper,

But still we are poor

Are we ungrateful if we should want more?

Benyamin:  Robber, cold blodded robber

What are you doing?

What have you done? 

You take it all,

But give back none.

        Robber, cold blodded robber

What are you doing?

What have you done? 

You turn back the hands of the clock,

And the foreman won’t let them talk.

 can’t let them live this way (x2)

You used to be just like them

Chorus:  Where are the roads paved with gold?

Where is our justice, true and bold?

We came here to prosper,

But still we are poor

Are we ungrateful if we should want more?

3. "Daddy I Want It!"

BECCA:

Daddy I want it

Daddy I need it

Please Daddy, please

I can’t live without it

The world is my oyster

And I am the pearl

How could you do this to

your little girl?

CHORUS

If I don’t get it I’ll scream

If I don’t get I’ll cry

Why would you ruin my dreams?

If I don’t get it I’ll die!

VERSE

Daddy I want it

Daddy I need it

Please Daddy, please

I can’t live without it

BRIDGE

I need some Manolos

I can’t live without those

If you give me more Uggs

I’ll give you more hugs

I need Jimmy Choos!

Just give me more shoes!

VERSE

Daddy I want it

Daddy I need it

Please Daddy, please

I can’t live without it

CHORUS

If I don’t get it I’ll scream

If I don’t get I’ll cry

Why would you ruin my dreams?

If I don’t get it I’ll die!

RAP - GIRL

Abercrombie, Hollister

Take me to the Apple Store

Tiffany’s the place to be

Can I get more jewelry?

No Gymboree or Justice

Give those stores a goodbye kiss!

Take me to Neiman’s for sure!

Do you wanna make us look poor?

Word!

CHORUS

If I don’t get it I’ll scream

If I don’t get I’ll cry

Why would you ruin my dreams?

If I don’t get it I’ll die!

DAD - 

No I You don’t need those

You have enough clothes

I won’t buy another 

Go ask your mother

No At&T

Don’t talk back to me

VERSE

I am not spoiled (Dad: Yes you are...)

I’m not a brat  (that’s debatable...)

I just want  ( what else do you want?)

All of that!  

CHORUS

If I don’t get it I’ll scream

If I don’t get I’ll cry

Why would you ruin my dreams?

If I don’t get it I’ll die!

DADDY I WANT IT!!!

The Musical

Have you ever wondered.....

How do greed and desire separate a person from the world? Just ask the girl who got buried by all her fancy gadgets.

How can reading an advice column can make you wiser?

Find answers to these and other questions in the Shira! The Musical. Coming April 21st (Reutlinger) and 28th (Temple Isaiah), 2013.

The creation of our musical has begun! How can we create modern characters who reflect the personalities and struggles described in A Bintl Brief?

We've raised nearly $200 for Tzedakah this year!

Shira Performs!

Congratulations on a fantastic performance. Here's a clip from "Matchmaker":

Family Program

The Shira family program is coming up! On December 2nd we will perform Matchmaker, If I Were a Rich Man and the Greenhorn Cousin. Here are some videos of these songs:

Di Grine Kuzine (The Greenhorn Cousin)

Here's a video featuring a performance of the song by Theodore Bikel, followed by a rewritten version by Benny Goodman and Peggy Lee. The clips are from Barbara Streisand's Jewish musical film, Yentl.

Tzu mir is gekumen a kuzine
Shein vi gold iz zi geven, di grine.
Bekelach vi roite pomerantzn,
Fiselach vos betn zich tzum tantzn

Herelech vi zaidn-veb gelokte
Tzeindelech, vi perelech getokte
Eygelech vi himl-bloi in friling
Lipelech vi karshelech a tzviling

Nisht gegangen is zi, nor geshprungen,
Nisht geredt hot zi nor gezungen
Lebedik un freilech yede mine
Ot aza geven is main kuzine!

Un azoi ariber zainen yorn
Fun main kuzine is a tel gevorn
Peydes (Hasonim) hot zi vochenlang geklibn
Biz fun ir iz gornisht nit geblibn

Haint az ich bagegn main kuzine
Un ich freg ir: "s'machstu epes, grine?"
Ziftzt zi op, un ch'leien in ir mine:
"Brenen zol Colombus'es medine!"

TRANSLITERATION
My green cousin came to me.
Beautiful like gold is my green cousin,
With cheeks like red apples
And her little feet just begging for a dance

Her curly hair was like silk,her white teeth - like
pearls,
her eyes - like the blue skies in springtime
and her lips like
cherries
in the summer.

She didn't walk, she jumped,
she didn't speak, she sang,
lively and happy every minute,
that was my cousin.

What a beauty my cousin used to be.
Many years passed.
Her judgment of young men was too strict
And she remained single

Today, I meet my cousin and ask her,
"How are you doing, my green cousin?"
She only sighs, and replies,
"Let this Columbus's land burn!"

Families and stories and... rabbis, oh my!

Last Wednesday, the students began sharing their family histories. Many of our ancestors came out of the Russian Empire during the Great Migration, fleeing poverty and persecution. Some came to America to escaper the Nazis. Some were Italian or Irish. Whatever their origins, most came to America seeking new opportunities.

This week we will switch gears. We will go back 2,000 years to the time of the early rabbis and the birth of the Jewish tradition as we know it. We will begin to study the wisdom of the Pirke Avot (Ethics of the Fathers). Having explored our roots, it's time to start exploring our values.