Presidential Candidate Yiddish Theme Songs

October 3, 2020. by Steve Balkin, Professor Emeritus, Roosevelt University, Email: [email protected]

This is for a candidate in the 2020 elections whose name is Joseph. For a theme song I propose the popular “Oy Yossel Yossel.” In English this translates to Oh Joseph Joseph. Here are ten versions showing off its global appeal. This song is about a man who can’t make up his mind to marry a particular nice sweet woman. But our Yossel made a good decisive choice with Jill. I thought, just as the song "High Hopes" helped propel JFK to the presidency, maybe these songs could have a similar effect for JRB.

“Yosl Yosl” was written by Nellie Casman and Samuel Steinberg, her husband. The song was made famous in English as “Joseph, Joseph” by the Andrew Sisters in 1938. Surprisingly, the English lyrics were written by Sammy Kahn, who also wrote the lyrics to “High Hopes.”

The song was first recorded in 1923 in the original Yiddish lyrics, sung by Nellie Casman, herself.

But first let’s start dancing, as this song was a favorite Klezmer tune played at weddings. Here it is performed by a 2013 Flashmob in Madrid, Spain, once a mother country to many Jewish people. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Nr-hir53xjA

Next, is a Slavic and Klezmer band, Slava Kazykin Ensemble, based in France. This recording was at a concert in a Catholic church in 2011. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=As7FaEyZtmg

At a dance class in Meze, France in 2014, led by Israeli dance choreographer Moshiko Halevy. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0JQ3n__eNbs

A jazzed up version by The Rita Collective with accordionist Maury Rosenberg. This was recorded in Rochester, NY in 2016. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J1jn5NCO3HM= Sung by the Italian empress of Yiddish music: Connie Francis. This is from her popular 1960s album “Connie Francis Sings Jewish Favorites.” Connie presently lives in Boca Raton, Florida. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ionLM_ZuZc8

Another jazzed-up version by the Sinti (Dutch Gypsy) band of Paulus Schäfer with Dominique Paats, performed at the Hotel L'Empereur in Maastricht, Netherlands in 2012. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wORwaz2omrY

The Andrews Sisters 1938s hit song with sing-along lyrics in English. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j6zqpIk7rIk

A young-women’s chorus of a German Girl Scout group singing in Yiddish at a Catholic Church in Marienfried, Germany in 2019. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rcQg7ZUO-7E

A Romani (Gypsy) jazz music style band, The Hot Club Du Nax from Innsbruck, Austria, sung in English. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WqawqSF4xs8

The best and last is the original 1923 Yiddish recording by the composer of this song, Nellie Casman. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lXQssPj2GQk

Vice Presidential Candidate Yiddish Theme Songs

This is for a candidate for Vice-President in the 2020 election whose name is Kamala but whose Jewish step-children call her Momala (also spelled Momele), which in Yiddish affectionately means Dear Mama or Little Mama, and is the name of a very beautiful Yiddish song,. The words were composed by the famous lyricist, Mitchell Parish, born in Lithuania in 1900 with the name Michael Hyman Pashelinsky. He also wrote the lyrics to Hoagy Carmichael’s song “Stardust.” The melody of “Momele” was composed by Alex Alstone and Al Goodhart in the 1950s.

Here are six versions of this loving emotional tribute to one’s mother. If you want to sing along, the words in English and Yiddish are provided by Batya Fondaat at: http://www.jewishfolksongs.com/en/mamele

The Klezmer Company Orchestra performed this song in a concert at Florida Atlantic University with guest African-American operatic vocalist Lloyd Reshard, Jr. in 2013. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=blGTeWSqFd8

Cantor Yaakov 'Yanky' Lemmer sang “Momele” in Amsterdam's Portuguese Synagogue in 2018. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XoRA0jjNMyU

Here is a Spanish version performed by this Argentinean singer Estela Ravel with the Los Cinco Latinos in 1965. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DVdP4ZczcfM

A beautiful instrumental version by The String Company of Erfurt, Germany in 2015. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MVBNaGhMORA

Connie Francis from her album “Connie Francis Sings Jewish Favorites” in 1960. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PgAgVmSVwDo

The operatic and cantorial legend Jan Peerce sings “Momele” from his 1961 album “Jan Pierce Sings Hebrew Melodies.” https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G-M2h2upD_8

My hope is that I get to hear these songs played at the inauguration balls as instrumental (pun intended) in helping Joe (Yossel) and Kamala (Momele) win the votes to put them over the top.

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