Lyrics: Anonymous, recorded by Y. Meyerzon, sent to Alma Ata, Kazakhstan, in a letter, 15 May, 1945.

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Music and Arrangement: Sergei Erdenko.

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Probably written by a Polish Jewish refugee, one of 250,000 who survived the war in the Soviet Union, the song expresses gratitude to the land of Kazakhstan that enabled their survival. One of the lines of the song “Al tire avdie Yaakov” evokes a verse from Jeremiah 30:10 and 46:27, meaning, “Have no fear Jacob, my servant.”* The full verse that the phrase is excerpted from reads: “‘Have no fear Jacob my servant; do not be dismayed Israel,’ declares the Lord, ‘I will surely save you out of a distant place, your descendants from the land of their exile. Jacob will again have peace and security, and no one will make him afraid.” The phrase is also the chorus of a well-known song of the Melaveh Malkah, a traditional meal held at the end of Shabbat.

This is the only piece on the album that features a newly composed tune: it is one that combines Roma, Yiddish and Romanian styles, to reflect on the internationalist message that proclaims the triumph of humanity. The original lyrics are shortened and modified to fit the melody.

The song appears twice on this album (tracks 4 and 15) because the piece carries special significance to two vocalists. Sophie Milman’s grandmother survived the war as a Soviet Jewish refugee in Kazakhstan. Milman wanted to draw attention to women’s contributions to the Soviet war effort. Sergei Erdenko wanted to address the plight of the Roma, who were persecuted and

murdered during the Holocaust.