Schlof Main Kind, a Yiddish Lullaby, was commissioned in 1994, which coincided with the Jewish observance of Yom HaShoah and the release of Spielberg’s movie, Schindler’s List.  In the movie, special dramatic attention was focused on “the girl in red,” an innocent child whose young life was ended due to the atrocities during the Holocaust. The image of the “girl in red” inspired much of this composition.  The text, adapted by Allan E. Naplan, is a lullaby written by the Belorussian Yiddish poet, David Einhorn. Imprisoned in 1912, Einhorn was suspected of revolutionary association. In 1940, after fleeing from Nazi-occupied France, he settled in America.

Schlof main Kind und ruh. 
Woil is dem wos hot a mamen. 
Un a wigele der zu.

Ales ken men noch gefinen,
Ales krigt men noch far gelt,
Nor a mamen
mer nischt eine af der welt.

Wi der zar soll sain nicht groiss
Tomid ken men ihm far wig’n
In der mames stille schoiss.

Sleep my child and rest.
Happy is the child with a mother.
And a cradle to be rocked in.

All can be found,
And all can be bought.
But without a mother
You have nothing in this world

Let your troubles not be great
For you can always be cradled
In your mother’s arms.

Program notes by Matt Niess, Matt Oltman, Vince Peterson, Dina Spyropoulos, Noah Wagar and Drew Young.