12/29/2007 10:48 PM

Symbolic Foods Eaten Around the World for New Years

In many parts of the world, the foods eaten on New Years Eve and New Years Day have important symbolic meanings. These symbols seem to fall into several major categories. The first class symbolizes financial prosperity. This type of food is round like coins. Often, the dish will be round beans, like lentils, [...]

12/06/2007 12:01 PM

The Dreydl Song and an Easy Way to Make Potato Latkes for Hanukah

Mark Bittman at the NY Times makes an alternative to latkes that’s called potato nik. He learned it from his grandmother. It’s easy and that’s the point! You simply use your favorite potato pancake recipe (click the link to see mine). Instead of cooking them individually, Mark cooks them as one [...]

07/31/2007 06:03 PM

Can Someone Help with a Russian or Yiddish Rhyme with the Word “Meesala” or “Misala” In It?

Sharon wrote: Hi, I am hoping that someone out there remembers an old game that mothers, grandmothers, aunts and friends used to play with little ones. I think the rhyme is either Russian or Yiddish. The baby’s hand is held palm up and the mother points her finger into the middle of the child’s hand and says, [...]

04/26/2007 06:31 PM

A Hebrew Song for Mother’s Day called Mommy, Precious to Me

Deborah Ivri sent me a wonderful song and recording recently that sounded perfect for Mother’s Day. Though Mother’s Day is not officially celebrated in Israel, it is unofficially. Here’s what Deborah said about it… Here in Israel Mother’s Day is not an official holiday, but because of the vast amount of American Jews and [...]

01/06/2007 08:35 PM

How to Find Sheet Music, Tunes and MP3’s on Mama Lisa’s World

In addition to this blog, I also host Mama Lisa’s World. Mama Lisa’s World is a large collection of children’s songs and rhymes from countries all around the globe. Matt, a music teacher from Rhode Island, wrote a question to me, the other day, about Mama Lisa’s World: Hey Mama, I love the concept of your site. [...]

12/29/2006 11:27 AM

A Yiddish Lullaby - Pretty Like the Moon - Sheyn vi di levone

Last weekend I recorded my husband’s 92 year old grandmother, Edna Pomerantz, singing a verse of a Yiddish Lullaby. It’s called Sheyn vi di levone, or Pretty Like the Moon, in English. Here you can hear the recording and read the transliterated Yiddish lyrics, followed by an English translation (the last line might be a [...]

12/24/2006 03:24 PM

The Dreydl Song

We went to a Hanukah party last night. My mother-in-law, Susan Pomerantz, played The Dreidel Song on the piano – so of course I asked her if I could record it! Here you can hear the tune of The Dreydl Song, with lots of party noise in the background… MP3 of The Dreydl Song [...]

12/04/2006 10:59 AM

Great Link for Language Learning

If you’re trying to learn a new language, I’d recommend checking out LanguageGuide.org. Users visit different theme related pages (i.e. about insects, the family, the farm). Each page has images related to the theme. You place your cursor over the images and hear their names pronounced and see them spelled out in the language [...]