We Choose To Live

created by Reverend Osby of Aurora Illinois in the Hinds County jail during the freedom rides based on an old gospel song from the 1960s

Recorded at Boston Passover Action Prep Meeting 4/17

lyrics:
Woke up this morning with my mind stayed on freedom
I woke up this morning with my mind stayed on freedom
Well I woke up this morning with my mind stayed on freedom
Hallelu, hallelu, Hallelu, Hallelu, hallelujah


Woke Up This Mornin

Aish Tamid tune by Shefa Gold from Leviticus 6:6
Which Side Are You On by Florence Reece coming out of 1930s mine workers struggle in Kentucky
Mash Up by Ilana Lerman

Recorded at Boston Passover Action Prep Meeting 4/17/16

lyrics:
Aish tamid tukad al hamizbayach lo tichbeh

Which side are you on? Which side are you on?

Aish Tamid + Which Side Are You On

tune by Rabbi Menachem Creditor from Psalm 89:3

Recorded at Boston Passover Action Prep Meeting 4/17/16

lyrics:
Olam chesed yibaneh

We will build this world from love

Olam Chesed

traditional Passover song

Recorded at Boston Passover Action Prep Meeting 4/17/16

lyrics: 
Ilu hotzi’anu mimitzrayim, dayenu.
day day enu day day eny day day enu dayenu dayenu

Dayenu

by Charlie Murphy

Recorded at Boston Passover Action Prep Meeting 4/17/16

lyrics: 
Light is returning
Even though this is the darkest hour
No one can hold back the dawn


Light Is Returning

tune by Shefa Gold from Psalm 118:14, Exodus 15:2

Recorded at Boston Passover Action Prep Meeting 4/17/16

lyrics: 
Ozi v’Zimrat Yah Vayahi li lishuah

When the World is Sick - A Silver Mt. Zion REMIX philly punk band
When the world is sick, can’t no one be well,
But I dreamt we were all beautiful and strong…

Recorded by IfNotNow Boston Summer 2016.

When The World Is Sick

Havdallah

Aish Tamid - melody by Shefa Gold (Remix with Which Side are you On)
Which side are you on - by Florence Reece- activist and organizer, a poet and songwriter- in 1931.  It was intended specifically as a song to be sung by the United Mine Workers in Harlan County, Kentucky.  It was revived during the Civil Rights movement, with verses changed and updated to fit the times. 

Aish tamid tukad al hamizbayach; lo tichbeh
Fire always shall be kept burning on the altar; it shall not go out. (Leviticus 6:6)

Which Side are you On? Which Side are you On my people?
Recorded by IfNotNow Boston Summer 2016

Aish Tamid

A zemer (song) for rest and joy on Shabbat, a time of slowing down
This zemer is usually sung on on Friday night. (16th century text)
sung by Mónica Gomery & Batya Levine

M’nuha v’simha, or lay’hudim,
Yom shabbaton yom mahamadim.
Shom’rav v’zokh’rav heima m’idim
Ki l’shisha kol b’ru’im v’om’dim.

Sh’mei shamayim, erets v’yamim,
Kol ts’va marom g’vohim v’ramim,
Tanin v’adam v’hayat r’eimim,
Ki v’yah adonai tsur olamim.

Hu asher diber l’am s’gulato,
Shamor l’kad’sho mibo’o v’ad tseito.
Shabbat kodesh, yom hemdato,
Ki vo shavat mikol m’lakhto.

B’mitsvat shabbat eil yahalitsakh.
Kum k’ra eilav yahish l’am’tsakh
Nishmat kol hai v’gam na’aritsakh,
Ekhol b’simha ki kh’var ratsakh.

B’mishneh lehem v’kiddush raba,
B’rov mat’amim v’ruah n’diva,
Yizku l’rav tuv hamit’an’gim bah
B’viat go’eil l’hayei ha’olam haba.

Translation:
O light of gladness,​​ O light of gladness,​​
Peace​ unto Israel,
Shabba​​t day of bliss, weave thy magic spell,
Weave​ thy magic spell.
All they who guard thee, all they who guard thee,
With raised cup do tell,
Tell of six days toil, earth from chaos raised
Build​ed firm and well.

Blue skies and green fields, blue skies and green fields,
Ocean​'s unceasing​ tide.
Glori​ous hosts of heaven, beaming far and wide,
Beami​ng far and wide.
Might​y whales and dragons fierce, mighty whales and dragons fierce,
Then human, to tame their pride:
God's​ hand formed them all, sure God's works abide,
Sure God's works abide.

God spoke to Israel, God spoke to Israel,
Chose​n for this behest,
'Till​ night's stars shine bright guard My Shabbat blest,
Guard​ My Shabbat blest.'
O day delightfu​​l, O day delightfu​​l,
Day which our God loved best,
God Godself on thee from God's toil did rest,
From God's toil did rest.

Ye faint and wearied, ye faint and wearied,
Shabba​​t soon make you strong!
Call on God, to God strength and might belong,
Stren​gth and might belong.
Sing loud God's praises, sing loud God's praises,
Sing mid the Angel throng,
Then go, eat in peace, God hath heard your song,
God hath heard your song.

Twin loaves and good cheer, twin loaves and good cheer,
Goble​ts of ruby wine,
Bid thy guests sing loud, praise God's gifts divine
Prais​e God's gifts divine.
God's grace will bless thee, God's grace will bless thee,
True Sabbath bliss be thine
Soon to greet our King, sprung from David's iiu
Sprun​g from David's line.

Menucha V'Simcha - Ashkenazi Traditional

IfNotNow is a movement led by young Jews to transform our American Jewish community’s support for the occupation into a call for freedom and dignity for all. Learn more about the songs we sing in our movement here: http://bit.ly/2mIZUks
>on singing songs from other movements of today and from the past:
We are lucky to have the songs of our own Jewish traditions -- they are for us to sing.  Some of us have ancestors who have been deeply involved in movements across the world for social change for generations, both as those directly affected and as allies.  We are also singing their songs. 
And.
We recognize that this can easily turn into cultural appropropriation, particularly when we do not have direct links. So, before we sing a song we have a practice of honoring where it comes from: we share the movement, the struggle, or the people who birthed this music. Singing these songs is one way of acknowledging that we’re in a long line of movements for justice. 
We continue to create new movement songs. We write new lyrics. We get inspired by old text- Jewish and non-Jewish.  We do not simply translate movement songs into Hebrew in order to connect with them. One possibility instead is to incorporate Jewish text with similar themes and vision. 
From the beginning, IfNotNow leaders have been building relationships with leaders from Cosecha, BlackLivesMatter, The Dream Defenders, and other movements through the Momentum Community where we have been creating and sharing our songs with each other. Diversity keeps our movements strong and interconnected. We understand this as an ecological system of access, ancestries, struggles and strategies for resistance. Song is part of the way we arrive in interdependent relationship. We are building a culture that is accountable, compassionate -- and vibrant as all hell. Please honor the history of each song -- learn it, share it. 
We will lift each other up.

Dayenu

IfNotNow

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