ARE YOU STILL ALIVE, BROTHER?

We stood there in line together
Father, Shloimele and I
Mother held the infant close to her heart
In silence she prayed, “Don’t break us apart!”
But they did – they tore him away
Our baby was gone forever

Our lives were spared, but we suffered
Mother fell, starving and still
We ran to get Father out on the streets
And found him collapsed on a hill

Oh, Shloimele – you’re all that was left
We’ve gone through so much together
We scrounged for our meals – potato peels
But we live and remember forever

Oh Shloimele – I wish you were here
They’ve taken our father and mother
I silently pray that I’ll see you one day
My heart craves so much for a brother ….

He took me away from my troubles
And raised me just like his own
He taught me the arts, the songs and the sports
And soon I received the highest awards
I achieved, accomplished
He made me the man that I am

I vaguely remember my mother
It pains me to think of my past
Yet sometimes I wonder – “Where did they go
And how did I lose them so fast?”

Yisroel – you’re all that was left
We’ve gone through so much together
We scrounged for our meals – potato peels
But we live and remember forever

Yisroel – I wish you were here
They’ve taken our father and mother
I silently pray that I’ll see you one day
My heart craves so much for a brother

​My heart is filled with desires
I want to be open and free
To shout and proclaim all over the land
“Hashem is my King – I obey His commands”
I will sit with the Torah - I’ll kiss it and hold it close

I’m tired of praying in silence
Unable to speak of my faith
If Eretz Yisroel was closer a bit
I’d crawl on the ground to its gates

Oh, Shloimele – you’re all that was left
We’ve gone through so much together
We scrounged for our meals – potato peels
But we live and remember forever

Yisroel I wish you were here
They’ve taken our father and mother
I silently pray that I’ll see you one day
My heart craves so much for a brother ….