When Sophie Tucker began singing this song written by Yellen & Pollack in 1925, the Jewish experience in America had included many mothers dealing with privations to care for their families, all the while passing down values that their tradition holds dear. Whether or not you have a “Yiddishe Momme” of your own, lose yourself in this Prohibition-era story, a tribute to mothers who went through great hardship for the sake of their little ones.
On a personal note, when I sing this song I think of the special bond I had with my grandmother, which was very strong right up to her passing just two years ago. She would always say two things to me - first, she would say, “Azi, you’ll never be a great cantor unless you gain some weight!”. And on hearing this song, she would add “Azi, when you sing in Yiddish, you sound like a Goy!” As to being a Cantor, I am doing alright, and as to my Yiddish accent, what do you think?
Wishing you a Shabbat Shalom and Happy Mother’s Day
Piano: David Enlow
Arr: Raymond Goldstein
AV: Russell Miller, Erik Van Batavia
Video Editor: Tami Shaham
www.azischwartz.com
5 май 2022
