THIS GOLDEN LAND: EIGHTY YEARS OF JEWISH HISTORY IN AMERICA {KOSOFSKY ETHNIC RADIO COLLECTION -- YIDDISH} (RADIO)
Summary
This musical production uses songs to tell the story of Jewish immigrants who came to the United States in the 1880s, having left behind the economic depression and pogroms of Czarist Russia. The musical selections trace the early experiences of the immigrants, including life in the sweatshops and the general history of the labor movement. The selections celebrate the new freedoms found in America. They also dwell on the nostalgia felt by immigrants for beloved hometowns left behind in Europe and for dear relatives who are far away and reachable only through letters. The program reflects the cultural life of the immigrants with excerpts from the Yiddish theater and Yiddish school songs. The program beings with "In Goldenem Land" ("In the Golden Land," meaning America), performed by Louis Danto and the company. Following this, Miriam Kressyn and the company sing "Viglid," a lullaby in which a mother tells her child about his father, and the entire company sings "In Kamf," about the struggle of the workers in the labor movement. The next two songs present a study in contrast. In "Hulyet, hulyet," ("Howl, Howl"), the company sings of raging winds and hard times, and in "Frayhayt Statue" Louis Danto sings of the "Freedom Statue," or the Statue of Liberty. This is followed by Kressyn's rendition of "Ellis Island." In "Dem Pedlers Brivele" ("The Peddler's Letter"), a son writes to his mother in Europe in about his life in America; he is reluctant to let her know just how hard things are -- and that he makes his living as a peddler. This song is sung by Miriam Kressyn. Next, Molly Stark, Mort Freeman, and the company sing "Mayn Rue Platz" ("My Resting Place"), a love song of a sweatshop worker, and Freeman performs "Svetshop" ("Sweatshop"). In "Mayn Yingele" ("My Little Boy"), Louis Danto takes the part of an immigrant worker who fears that his sleeping child will grow up without knowing the father who works day and night. Following this, the company sings "Vakht Oyf" ("Wake Up"), the marching song of the labor movement. Next, Freeman performs "Shmilik-Gavrilik," about two boys who played together in Europe as horse and rider and in America became worker and boss. Louis Danto and the company then sing "Un Du Akerst Un Du Zeyst" ("And You Plow and You Sow"), which explores workers' toils for others. This is contrasted with "Di Velt Vet Vern Yinger" ("The World Will Become Younger"), in which Danto and Freeman sing of a day in which there will be no more strife or exploitation. Workers are also featured in "Arbeter-Froyen" ("Women Workers"), performed by Molly Stark and Elsa Kullick, and the company's "Arbeter Ring Hymn" ("Workmen's Circle Hymn"). Next, the production features "Lebn Zol Kolumbus" ("Long Live Columbus"), performed by the ensemble, and the relaxed "Zumer by nakht" ("Summer at Night"), sung by Miriam Kressyn and Mort Freeman. This is followed by one of the most popular Yiddish-American songs of the past century, "Di Grine Kuzine" ("The Green Cousin"), sung by Kressyn. This number tells the story of a new immigrant who arrives fresh and alive with rosy cheeks but ends up pale and exhausted from her difficult life in America. Next, the company sings "Kolumbus Ikh Hob Tsu Dir Gornit" ("Columbus, I Have Nothing Against You"). This is followed by excerpts of five songs from the Yiddish theater, which represent the cultural life of immigrants who attended that theater. Louis Danto sings the popular "Got Un Zayn Mishpet Iz Gerekht" ("God and His Judgment Are Right") and "Rozhinkes un Mandlen" ("Raisins and Almonds"), a lullaby from the Yiddish operetta "Shulamis" by Abraham Goldfaden. Goldfaden is also represented by "Viglid" from "Akeydes Yitschak" ("Lullaby" from the "The Sacrifice of Isaac"), performed by Miriam Kressyn; by "Noyakhs Teyve" ("Noah's Ark" from the same operetta), sung by Miriam Kressyn and Louis Danto; and by "Gekumen iz Di Tsayt" ("The Time Has Come," from the "Bar Kochba"), performed by the company. Next, the ensemble sings "O Guter Fraynd" ("Oh, Good Friends"), a workers' lament, and Kressyn performs "A Brivele der Mamen" ("A Letter to Mother"), a song about a mother who entreats a child who is about to cross the seas to arrive in good health and write each week. The next three selections are nostalgic numbers about hometowns in Europe and the memories they evoke. The first is "Slutsk," named after a town in Russia, performed by Mort Freeman. Next, Louis Danto sings of "Baranovich" (a town in Byelorussia, part of Poland in the inter-war period), and the company sings about "Belz" (a town in Romania, Bessarabia). Following this, Louis Danto performs "Shikt Pekelekh" ("Send Packages"), in which relatives and friends in Europe ask for relief from America, reflecting the poverty and economic depression in the old country. The next two songs were traditionally sung by schoolchildren and are performed by young singers. In "Tsipele," sung by Dina Schwartzman, a little girl bites her lips and starts to cry. Her mother asks her whether she wants an apple, and she replies that she only wants a kiss. Zalmen Mlotek then sings "Tsum Hemerl" ("The Hammer"), a song about the hard life of a cobbler. Finally, the company sings "Amerika, Mayn Vunderland" ("America, My Wonderland, Land of Wonder"), a tribute to the immigrants' new home.
(This program is in Yiddish.)
The acquisition and cataloging of this program were made possible by Marvin and Jacqueline Kosofsky.
Details
- NETWORK: N/A
- DATE: November 30, 1959
- RUNNING TIME: 1:00:00
- COLOR/B&W: N/A
- CATALOG ID: R:0424
- GENRE: Radio - Music; Radio - Public affairs/Documentaries
- SUBJECT HEADING: Jews, American; Music, Yiddish; Theater, Yiddish
- SERIES RUN: N/A
- COMMERCIALS: N/A
CREDITS
- Himan Brown … Producer, Director
- Joseph Mlotek … Writer, Compiled by
- Sholem Aleichem … Composer
- Abraham Moshe Bernstein … Composer
- Y. Brisker … Composer
- Moshe Broderson … Composer
- David Edelstadt … Composer
- Z. Feigenbaum … Composer
- L. Friedsell … Composer
- Mordechai Gebirtig … Composer
- M. Gelbart … Composer
- L. Gilrod … Composer
- Jacob Glatstein … Composer
- Abraham Goldfaden … Composer
- G. Hervegh … Composer
- J. Jacobs … Composer
- J. Leiserowitz … Composer
- Abraham Liessin … Composer
- D. Meyrowitz … Composer
- Olshanetsky … Composer
- M. Posner … Composer, Music (Misc. Credits), Arrangement by
- J. Rechtzeit … Composer
- I. Reingold … Composer
- Abraham Reisen … Composer
- Joseph Rumshinsky … Composer
- A. Schwartz … Composer
- Sholom Secunda … Composer
- S. Shmulevitch … Composer
- Morris Winchevsky … Composer
- N. Yud … Composer
- Melech Ravitch … Lyricist, Based on the poem by
- Morris Rosenfeld … Lyricist, Based on the poem by
- I.J. Schwartz … Lyricist, Based on the poem by
- Morris Winchevsky … Lyricist, Based on the poem by
- Chaim Zhitlowsky … Lyricist
- Shkliar … Music (Misc. Credits), Arrangement by
- Lazar Weiner … Music (Misc. Credits), Arrangements by
- Joseph Mlotek … Narrator
- Lazar Weiner … Instrumentalist, Pianist
- Louis Danto … Performer
- Mort Freeman … Performer
- Miriam Kressyn … Performer
- Elsa Kullick … Performer, Vocal Assistant
- Zalmen Mlotek … Performer, Vocal Assistant
- Dina Schwartzman … Performer, Vocal Assistant
- Molly Stark … Performer, Vocal Assistant