PHOTO ALBUM
A musical drama dedicated to the victims and survivors of the Holocaust.
Scene 1
Young man:
Why are you crying, my old friend?
Looking at photographs again.
That's just ancient history
Why don't you tell me what you see?
Talk to me.
Old man:
These are the benches where we children sat,
Learning our lessons; I can still feel the sting
Of the teacher's ruler.
I can still hear him sing, "Aleph, bais,"
Still see the look on his face.
You never saw anger like that;
Children sit down and be quiet.
Old man:
Never saw love like that
Soon will be the holiday of Passover
And for this you must know the Mah Nishtanah.
Learn it well because someday you'll teach it to your children.
"Mah nishtanah halaylah hazeh mikol halaylot..."
Cheder (Mah Nishtanah)
Mah nishtanah halaylah hazeh mikol halailot
Sheb'chol halailot anu ochlin chametz umatzah
Halalalalaylah, halaylah hazeh kulo matzah
Sheb'chol halailot anu ochlin sh'ar y'rakot
Halalalalaylah, halaylah hazeh maror
Why is this night different from all other nights?
Out of the slavery of Egypt into freedom's holy light.
Tell me, why is this night different from all other nights?
It's freedom's holy light.
Sheb'chol halailot anu ochlin chametz umatzah
Sheb'chol halailot anu ochlin sh'ar y'rakot
Halalalalaylah, halaylah hazeh kulo matzah
Halalalalaylah, halaylah hazeh maror
Tell me why?
PHOTO ALBUM
A musical drama dedicated to the victims and survivors of the Holocaust.
Scene 2
Young man:
Why are you sighing, my old friend?
Lost in your photographs again.
It's a new world, can't you see.
And you can always talk to me.
Old man:
Here is your cousin with his baby boy.
Look at how proud; he would have been your age now
Or a little bit older;
We could have saved them somehow, if we only knew.
We would have saved them somehow
But we didn't know
How could we know?
Escape
It was a cold hard day in Poland.
The year was nineteen thirtynine.
He told his father, "I'm going to America."
He could hear the thunder rolling
Before the Germans crossed the line
He bought a pass, and started out all alone.
His family was still unaware of the danger
He said he would send for the rest of them later.
He knew he'd be starting again as a stranger
But he was young and he had to try.
Come to America,
The Land of Liberty.
Come to America,
To see what you could be.
Come to America,
With all your hopes and dreams.
America the free.
He was three weeks on the ocean
Before they sailed into New York.
He saw a hand reaching out from America.
But then the man from immigration
Said they weren't taking any more:
"Turn around, you're not wanted here at all!"
He rushed to the front of the line and he shouted:
"You made a mistake I am sure when you counted.
The rights of these people must never be doubted;
Our only hope is if you let us in."
I hear America calling me
With the promise of life and equality
And I know that a new world awaits for me
In America the Free.
Then the man came 'round the table,
And he looked him in the eye
And he said, "Son, welcome to America.
What makes you think that I should save you
More than the thousands I deny?
We've got a quota, and my friend, that is the law!
Just get over there now and fill out those papers.
Sit down, and don't ask me for any more favors.
Those others with you can come in when I say so.
It's not my job to see that you survive."
Album Info
PHOTO ALBUM
A musical drama dedicated to the victims and survivors of the Holocaust.
Scene 3
Young man:
What are you looking at, my fine old friend?
Some kind of boutonniere from God knows when.
Old man:
It's a driedup flower pressed into the page
Just a wildflower from a long time ago
Oh, I wish you could know how it was...
Reminiscence
When I was young I had a fantasy
That I would marry royalty.
And everything seemed possible
In the days when I was young.
And I recall I had a sweetheart then.
At times I still remember when
We ran through fields of wildflowers
In the days when I was young.
But then there came a time of darkness
When the whole world fell around us,
And the Nazis came and dragged us to the ground.
And I don't know why I survived it
When so many others didn't.
They took the best and left us nothing
In the days when I was young.
And now I know you are my family:
You took me in out of my misery,
And we have traveled down these many years as one.
But yet I sometimes still remember those
Who perished, while the whole world closed
Their eyes and turned away
In the days when I was young.
Postscript
Old man:
Now you are busy with your busy life
Minding your business,
I just don't know anymore
Why I keep these pictures.
It just upsets me, I'm sure, though I can't explain.
It's not a matter of pain,
Just the question why?
Why?...