Abie Rotenberg - The man from vilna

I ^Cmet a man last ^Fsunday, who was o^Cn his way back h^Amome From a ^Cwedding in Chi^Fcago, and was tr^Gaveling alo^Bmne He ^Gsaid he came from ^AmVilna, a surv^Fivor I could t^Dmell And I ^Gmhelped him with his ^Fsuitcase, he could n^Ebot walk very w^Cell

A s^Cteward gave us ^Fcoffee as we ^Csettled on the p^Amlane And I a^Csked him why he ^Fbothers, at his a^Gge there'd ^Bmbe no blame He sa^Gid "no simcha is a ^Amburden, though I ^Fmiss my dear late ^Dmwife" And then he ^Gmshared with me a ^Fstory that has ^Ebchanged my view of ^Gmlife:

"We danced ^Bbround and round in ^Gsus2circles as if the w^Bborld had done no w^Crong From ^Bbevening until ^Gsus2morning, filling ^Bbup the shul with ^Amsong Though we ^Bbhad no sifrei T^Gsus2orah to c^Bblutch close to our h^Cearts In their ^Bbplace we held the f^Gsus2uture of a ^Bbpast so torn a^Dmpart

I ^Cremember libera^Ftion, joy and ^Cfear both intert^Amwined Where to g^Co and what to ^Fdo, and how to l^Geave the pain ^Bmbehind? My ^Gheart said 'go to ^Amvilna', dare I ^Fpray yet once ^Dmagain For the c^Gmhance to find a ^Floved one, or per^Ebhaps a childhood ^Cfriend?

It took ^Cmany months to ^Fget there, from the la^Cte spring to the f^Amall And as ^CI, many ^Fothers, close to f^Gour hundred ^Bmin all And ^Gslowly there was h^Amealing, darkened s^Fouls now mixed with l^Dmight When ^Gmsomeone proudly ^Fcried out, 'sim^Ebchas Torah is ton^Gmight!'

"We danced ^Bbround and round in ^Gsus2circles as if the w^Bborld had done no w^Crong From ^Bbevening until ^Gmmorning, filling ^Bbup the shul with ^Amsong Though we ^Bbhad no sifrei T^Gsus2orah to c^Bblutch close to our h^Cearts In their ^Bbplace we held the f^Gmuture of a ^Bbpast so torn a^Dmpart

We ^Cran as one ^Ftowards the shul, our sp^Cirits in a t^Amrance And we ^Ctore apart the ^Fbarricade, in defia^Gnce we would d^Bmance But ^Gthe scene before ^Amour eyes s^Fhook us to the ^Dmcore Scr^Gmaps of siddur, b^Fullet holes, b^Ebloodstains on the ^Cfloor

Turn^Cing to the ^Feastern wall, we ^Clooked on in ^Amdespair There'd ^Cbe no scrolls ^Fto dance with, the ^Gholy ark was ^Bmbare T^Ghen we heard two ^Amchildren crying, a b^Foy and girl whom ^Dmno one knew And we r^Gmealized that no ^Fchildren were am^Ebong us but those ^Gmtwo

"We danced ^Bbround and round in ^Gsus2circles as if the w^Bborld had done no w^Crong From ^Bbevening until ^Gmmorning, filling ^Bbup the shul with ^Amsong Though we ^Bbhad no sifrei T^Gsus2orah to ^Bbgather in our a^Crms In their ^Bbplace we held those c^Gmhildren, the ^BbJewish people would l^Dmive on

"We danced ^Bbround and round in ^Gsus2circles as if the w^Bborld had done no w^Crong From ^Bbevening until ^Gmmorning, filling ^Bbup the shul with ^Amsong Though we ^Bbhad no sifrei T^Gsus2orah to c^Bblutch and hold up ^Chigh In their ^Bbplace we held those c^Gmhildren, ^Bbam yisrael c^Dmhai"

"We danced ^Bbround and round in ^Gsus2circles as if the w^Bborld had done no w^Crong From ^Bbevening until ^Gmmorning, filling ^Bbup the shul with ^Amsong Though we ^Bbhad no sifrei T^Gsus2orah to ^Bbgather in our a^Crms In their ^Bbplace we held those c^Gmhildren, the ^BbJewish people would l^Dmive on ^FAm yisrael ^Ebchai The ^BbJewish people would l^Dmive on The Jewish ^Ampeople ^FWILL live ^Ebon