Arise Oh Children of Israel

Mommy is it night time,
Why is the sky so grey?
The war has come, my dear,
blackout time that's what she'd say.

Mommy what is that sign
And why do we wear a star?
It's the German's swastika, dear
They took us away we travelled so far.

Mommy where are we going
And why did he call us that name?
I do not know, my dear
To a concentration Camp we came.

Schnell! Schnell! The soldiers order
In lines we all pile out.
Achtung! Achtung alle Judine!
An unseen speaker grates and shouts.

Mommy where has daddy gone
Will he come back again?
He's dead, we're living dead, it's all the same.

We thank the Lord
For this our bondage
For frailty, hunger and ever suffering
May manna to our dead be given
God's Jewish nation has arisen.

By Joanne (1992)