Magical Moment 66, "A Moment to Remember"

Today, Aprill 11, is a day to remember the Holocaust. May we all take a moment to remember this horrifying time in history so that it is never repeated, and a moment of prayer and respect for the millions who lost their lives, and lives that were forever changed and affected by this tragedy.

Below are lyrics and videos/recordings of 2 Jewish songs. The first, "Zog Nit Keynmol," is a Jewish anthem from the 1940s, often still sung at Holocaust memorials. It soon became a symbol of resistance against Nazi Germany's persecution of the Jews.

The next, "Wiegala," is a Jewish Lullaby, heard throughout camps during the war years. There is even an account of a woman singing the song to her son as they walked into the gas chamber.

"Zog Nit Keynmol" (Never Say We Are Trodding the Final Path) - words, Hirsh Glik; melody by Pokrass

Never say that you are on your final way,

Though lead gray skies blot out the blue of day.

The hour will come at last for which we all long,

A drumbeat for our steps saying, "We live on!"

From green lands of palms to white lands of snow,

We come bearing our hurt and our pain,

And wherever there is a spurt of our blood,

There will sprout our courage, our rebirth.

The morning sun will gild our today,

And our yesterday will fade with our foes,

Yet, if the sun delays in its scheduled rise,

This song must go as password from generation to generation.

This song is written with blood and not with lead,

It's not the song that birds sing freely,

This one has people midst collapsing walls,

This song, sung with grenades in our hands.

"Wiegala" (Cradle Song) - Ilse Weber

Rock, cradle, rock.

The wind is playing the lyre.

Playing so sweetly on the green reeds.

The nightingale sings her song.

Rock, cradle rock,

The wind is playing the lyre

Rock, cradle rock,

The moon is the lantern,

Sitting in the dark canopy of Heaven,

Looking down on the world.

Rock, cradle, rock,

The moon is the lantern.

Rock, cradle, rock,

How still the world is.

No sound disturbs this sweet calm,

Sleep, my dearest child, sleep,

Rock, cradle rock,

How still the world is.

*Arranged and performed by Elizabeth Grimes*

Magical Moment 625, "Thailand - the Elephants"

Needless to say, my favorite part of our Thailand vacation, was our week long volunteering at Elephant Nature Park ! The logging industry was banned in Thailand in 1989, leaving thousands of elephants unemployed. These elephants are now used for tourism. You may have heard of elephant shows featuring the animals playing soccer or painting pictures with their trunks. They are no doubt amazing to watch, but the sad truth is that these elephants have gone through a series of torture and abuse to "break their spirit" by their trainers. This short clip is very hard to watch, but it will give you an idea of what the elephants in captivity in the country of Thailand go through. The only elephants in Thailand who do not endure this, are the very few baby elephants who are first generation born in "safe captivity" at places like Elephant Nature Park. Every other elephant at this park has been brutally abused. Some have been blinded by their owners, le...

Magical Moment 620, "Lilac Garden"

Eddie and I visited the Lilac Gardens at Ringwood Manor in New Jersey, a pristine and beautiful state park with 8 species of lilacs and several varieties within. We went on a rainy afternoon, which turned out perfect because the rain stopped for us when we got there, and began again as soon as we left. It also decorated the plants with gorgeous rain drops, adding to their beauty. And now for a quick game of "Where's Elizabeth?" And "Where's Eddie?" ~~Have a great weekend! ~~

Magical Moment 280, "The Eleventh Hour"

The Veterans Day Parade, NYC On July 29, 2001 , five exceptional men were honored by the President of the United States for their remarkable military service. They were involved in a top secret mission that required unfathomable intelligence and as a result, literally won a battle which was instrumental in winning the war. Not the war that was happening in 2001, not even the Gulf War. It was World War II, and they were the Navajo Code Talkers who were largely responsible for winning the bloody battle of Okinawa. The only problem with the ceremony was that just 5 remained of the original 29. Our country was too late in thanking the other 24, and nearly too late in thanking those 5 men. On March 10, 2010, three hundred women won the Congressional Gold medal for their outstanding war service. Unfortunately, 800 received the award posthumously. These were the Women Airforce Service Pilots (WASP) of World War II, who devoted themselves to flying military aircraft like the B-26 and B-...

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