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Yiddish Folk Songs for Children

Mark Olf
Yiddish Folk Songs for Children Mark Olf (1905–1987) was a composer and singer of Yiddish and Hebrew songs. Olf emigrated to the U.S. from Russia when he was young; he later recorded some of the songs he had heard as a child, toured the country performing, and taught music at the Henry Street Settlement on the Lower East Side, Queens College (CUNY), and the University of Rhode Island. On this recording--one of four he made for Folkways Records—he sings fanciful Yiddish songs for children. Some have known authors, including two songs with lyrics by Aliza Greenblatt, the mother-in-law of Woody Guthrie and grandmother of Arlo. Yiddish, which incorporates elements of German, Hebrew, and Slavic languages, was the primary secular language of the Jews in Eastern Europe. Liner notes provide English translations, English transliterations of the Yiddish, and the original Yiddish texts.

Track Listing

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101
Mark Olf
01:29
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102
Mark Olf
01:39
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103
Mark Olf
01:18
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104
Mark Olf
02:43
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105
Mark Olf
02:12
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106
Mark Olf
01:09
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107
Mark Olf
01:43
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201
Mark Olf
02:49
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202
Mark Olf
01:10
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203
Mark Olf
01:58
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204
Mark Olf
02:41
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205
Mark Olf
01:28
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206
Mark Olf
01:35