Oorah Presents: The Place Where I Belong from Journeys Vol. 1

[Music] rabby is this a Torah It is a Torah Why is it so small Well it is very old But what's it doing here I was made way back in 1842 by a humble man a real god-fearing Jew who did his work with honesty feeling and with pride He was known in Kiev as young Kala the scribe With loving care his hands so sure and still he formed me with some parchment ink and quill Each day he'd slowly add to me just a few more lines with words to last till the end of time And on the day that I was finally complete the whole town came and filled the narrow street And they sang and danced and held me high and carried me away to the little wooden shore where I would stay And as the rabbi held me close against his chest he spoke out loud and clear to all the rest He said "No matter if you're very young or even if you're old live by the words you'll find inside the scroll Three days a week they read from me out loud It filled my soul with joy It made me proud They followed each and every verse with fire in their eyes The words that told them how to live their lives I watched the generations come and go I saw the old men die the children grow [Music] But never in a century did I miss my turn once For the fathers they had left me with their sons But the hatred from the west came to K And they rounded up the Jews who had not fled But Movies he was brave and he was bold He hid me in his cellar dark and cold And for years and years I waited all alone [Music] for the people of my town to take me home And they'd sing and dance and hold me high when they carried me away to my little wooden shoe where I would stay But it was someone else who found my hiding place And to America he sent me in a crate And the men who took me off the boat they said I was a prize but they were Jews I did not recognize And in a case of glass they put me on display where visitors would look at me and say "How very nice how beautiful a stunning work of art." But they knew not what was inside my heart And across the room I saw upon the shelf Some old friends of mine who live back in Kiev A silver pair of candlesticks A manora made of brass We'd all become your echoes of the past So if you hear my voice why don't you come along and take me to the place where I belong and maybe even sing and dance when you carry me away to some little wooden shore where I could stay And as the rabbi holds me close against his chest he'll speak out loud and clear to all the rest He'll say "No matter if you're very young or even if you're old live by the words you'll find inside this scroll Live by the words you'll find inside my soul [Music] Rabbi even though we can't take this Torah home we can still learn at home and keep Torah alive You're right We can keep Torah alive [Music]