Inspired by an excerpt from the poem "Red Sea" by Aurora Levins Morales written in 2002 and included in the article written by Arielle Angel “We Cannot Cross Until We Carry Each other” in Jewish Currents post October 7, 2023.

Written by Molly Bajgot & Sol Weiss on our way to DC, October 2023
Sung by Leigh Witzling, Nina Gordon Kirsch, Lily Israel, Molly Bajgot and Sol Weiss


Lyrics:

We won’t rest till we’re all free
You are not my enemy
In our pain, in our grief
Border walls won’t protect me

We will cross the sea
With all of us or none

We will cross the sea
We will cross the sea
With all of us or none
With all of us or none

Cross the Sea (by Molly Bajgot & Sol Weiss)

Little Song is a nigun (wordless melody) that is a soft, simple call and response / echo song that has often served as a way to sing out messages or add in words. This version was born when Ilana Lerman was driving to Washington DC to lead a songleader training at an IfNotNow action along with me and a powerful team of many songleaders, where she put the movement's messaging and demands to this tune. Since then, more of us have added words, the song growing every time. This melody is a powerful vehicle for sharing a message and grounding in our hearts. With these words, we hope the song can both be a gentle support to all of us in times of devastation and a strong loud voice in calling out for an end to the war.

With our prayers for healing this broken world and bridging the distance between us that can feel so cavernous, for grieving the terror of violence and oppression and a world that makes us believe they are necessary, for finding our way through together — we call for a ceasefire now: protect lives on all sides, end the siege on Gaza. 

How to use the song:

This melody can accelerate and pick up energy or slow down and get soft, is easy to learn, and is a call and response song, making it impactful for sharing a message. The last note of each line is drawn out to overlap with the response. When using in groups or at actions, the main words have been "Ceasefire Now," "Not in our name" and "No more genocide." You are welcome to use the words that feel right for the moment and add your own. Other possibilities include: Never again is now / Safety for all now / Let Gaza live / etc. 


Lyrics:

Ceasefire Now
to the tune of "Little Song" by Sol Weiss with added words from Ilana Lerman, Sol Weiss and many voices in the Ceasefire movement. 

Cease fire now (ceasefire now)
Cease fire now (ceasefire now)
Cease fire now (ceasefire now)
Cease fire now (ceasefire now)

Not in our name (not in our name)
Not in our name (not in our name)
Not in our name (not in our name)
Not in our name (not in our name)

Bring them home now (bring them home now)
Bring them home now (bring them home now)
Bring them home now (bring them home now)
Bring them home now (bring them home now)

Put the weapons down (put the weapons down)
Put the weapons down (put the weapons down)
Put the weapons down (put the weapons down)
Put the weapons down (put the weapons down)

Cease fire now (ceasefire now)
Cease fire now (ceasefire now)
Cease fire now (ceasefire now)
Cease fire now (ceasefire now)

Not in our name (not in our name)
Not in our name (not in our name)
Not in our name (not in our name)
Not in our name (not in our name)

*V’ ahavta (v'ahavta)
L’arecha (l'arecha)
K’mocha (k'mocha)
K’mocha (k'mocha)

Cease fire now (cease fire now)
Cease fire now (cease fire now)
Cease fire now (cease fire now)
Cease fire now (cease fire now)

*וְאָֽהַבְתָּ֥ לְרֵעֲךָ֖ כָּמ֑וֹךָ
Hebrew translation "and you shall love your neighbor as you love yourself" (Vayikra 19:18)

Sung by: Matt Goldfield, Molly Bajgot, Ilana Lerman, Helen Bennett & Sol Weiss
November 2023

Ceasefire Now (tune of Little Song)

Ozi v’Zimrat Yah - melody by Rabbi Shefa Gold  
Ozi v’Zimrat Yah Vayahi li lishuah (Psalm 118:14 and Exodus 15:2)
My Strength (balanced) with the Song of G!d will be my salvation.

Recorded by IfNotNow Boston Summer 2016.

Ozi Vizimrat Yah

Lo Yisa Goy - by Isaiah 2:4

Lo yisa goy el goy cherev, Lo yil'm'du od milchama

Nation Shall Not Lift up Sword against nation, nor shall they ever again know war. 

Recorded by IfNotNow Boston Summer 2016.

Lo Yisa Goy

Ahava V'rachamim by Bon Singer 
Ahava V'rachamim Chesed V'shalom
Love and compassion, kindness and peace/wholeness

Recorded by IfNotNow Boston Summer 2016.

Ahavah V'Rahamim

Olam Chesed Yibaneh - adapted from Rabbi Menachem Creditor, written after 9/11 
We will build this world with love      

Recorded by IfNotNow Boston Summer 2016.

Olam Hesed Yibaneh

brich rachamana malka d'alma mar'ei d'hai pita
thank you, thank you, 
thank you for this beautiful food, 
may it nourish us to build a world that's whole.
*a close translation of the aramaic: blessed is the merciful one, sovereign of the world, creator of this bread.*
**art (woodburned challah board) by batya levine**

Brich Rachamana (aftermeal blessing)

there is a concept in Jewish thought, that in a person's life, they need to have both hishtadlus and bitachon, learning to balance the two.

hishtadlus is personal effort, bitachon is trust.

this song is a tribute to the power and endurance it takes to do our own unique work in this lifetime.

photo by batya levine

Hishtadlus Nigun

Artist: Thee Silver Mount Zion Memorial Orchestra and Tra-La-La Band 
I learned at Adamah (Jewish Farming Fellowship) in 2014.

Sung at a song circle on January 1, 2019 on Chinook land/Portland, OR.

Lyrics:
When the world is sick
Can't no one be well
But I dreamt we were all beautiful and strong

When The World Is Sick (Thee Silver Mount Zion Memorial Orchestra and Tra-La-La Band)

Artist: Miner
I learned this song at Let My People Sing 2019.

Sung at a song circle on September 15, 2019 on Chinook land/Portland, OR.

Part 1:
Let the wave wash over me
Let the wave wash over me
I am already under
Let the wave wash over me

Part 2:
There will be better days

**Photo credit: Sarah Snyder!

Let The Wave (Miner)

https://fb.watch/3eSSURrJSb/

We will not underestimate 
our power any longer—
we know that together, we are strong.
Like drops of water shape the rocks 
as they rush down the falls,
we know that together,
we are strong.

שִׁירָה חֲדָשָׁה שִׁבְּ֒חוּ גְאוּלִים לְשִׁמְךָ עַל־שְׂפַת הַיָּם יַֽחַד כֻּלָּם הוֹדוּ
Shira chadasha shibchu ge'ulim l'shimcha al sfat hayam, 
yachad kulam hodu
"With newborn song, liberated people praised Your name on the lip of the sea. All were one in thanks." -Jewish Liturgy

May it be so.

Production by Eitan Kantor
Art by Sol Yael Weiss
Music and English Lyrics by Rena Branson
Hebrew Lyrics from Jewish Liturgy

Virtual Choir:

Aly Halpert
Anat Halevy Hochberg
Ari Yovel
R' Ariel Root Wolpe
Ariel Shapiro
Arielle Rivera Korman
Aviva Chernick
Batya Levine
Binya Kóatz
Caryn Shebowich
Chloe Telfeyan Glickman
Cole Krawitz
Dori Midnight
Eitan Kantor
Gedalia Penner
Grace Gleason
Itai Gal
JB Levine
Pastor John Bergen
C' Jessi Roemer
K' Keshira haLev Fife
Margot Seigle
Marigo Farr
Mariyama Scott
Marques Hollie
May Ye
Molly Bajgot
R' Mónica Gomery
Nissa Mai Rose
Nnedinma Umeadi
R' Noam Lerman
Patrece Dixon
Rachel Chang
Rebecca Peretz-Lange
Rebekka Goldsmith
Reem Rosenhaj
Reuben Shachar Rose
Riv Ranney Shapiro
Rowan K. Ching
Sadie Gold-Shapiro
Shana Salzberg
Sol Yael Weiss
Yaara Perczek
Yasha Shapiro
Zuriel Biran

Our Power (Video Version)

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.

Olam Hesed Yibaneh

IfNotNow

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