From the Milken Archive: Pete Seeger and the Story of Tzena, Tzena

While browsing through the Lowell Milken Archive of Jewish Music, we came across a video of folksinger Pete Seeger telling about his collaboration with Israeli composer Issachar Meron to produce an English version of the Hebrew song Tzena, Tzena.

A moving story of music's ability to transcend boundaries and communicate universally, the video captures a rare moment featuring Seeger alongside the song's composer, Issachar Miron, as they lead a performance of a new trilingual version of the song that includes verses in Arabic, as well as in Hebrew and English.

Seeger, who died in 2014, taught the song to his singing group, The Weavers, who made the song popular worldwide.

A musical adventure of historic proportions, the Milken Archive of Jewish Music is an exploration of the rich variety of musical expression born of, inspired by, associated with, or reflecting the full spectrum of Jewish life in the United States—the collective American Jewish experience.

Enjoy!

A SPECIAL NOTE FOR NEW EMAIL SUBSCRIBERS:  THE VIDEO MAY NOT BE VIEWABLE DIRECTLY FROM THE EMAIL THAT YOU GET EACH DAY ON SOME COMPUTERS AND TABLETS.  YOU MUST CLICK ON THE TITLE AT THE TOP OF THE EMAIL TO REACH THE JEWISH HUMOR CENTRAL WEBSITE, FROM WHICH YOU CLICK ON THE PLAY BUTTON IN THE VIDEO IMAGE TO START THE VIDEO. 

Pete Seeger and the Story of "Tzena Tzena"

Back in 2011, we wrote about the origins of Tzena Tzena, the Hebrew song that rode to the number 2 position on Billboard's Top Hit List when it was recorded by Pete Seeger and The Weavers. We also included a funny, fanciful version of its origins told by Arlo Guthrie.

Last year, when Seeger died at the age of 94, we made a brief reference to his role in popularizing this song. Now we discovered a short documentary from The Milken Archive of Jewish Music that remembers Seeger and his connection to Tzena Tzena and its Israeli composer, Issachar Miron.

It's a moving story featuring Seeger and Miron, as they lead a performance of a new trilingual version of the song that includes verses in Arabic, as well as in Hebrew and English. 

Enjoy!

(A SPECIAL NOTE FOR NEW EMAIL SUBSCRIBERS:  THE VIDEO MAY NOT BE VIEWABLE DIRECTLY FROM THE EMAIL THAT YOU GET EACH DAY ON SOME COMPUTERS AND TABLETS.  YOU MUST CLICK ON THE TITLE AT THE TOP OF THE EMAIL TO REACH THE JEWISH HUMOR CENTRAL WEBSITE, FROM WHICH YOU CLICK ON THE PLAY BUTTON IN THE VIDEO IMAGE TO START THE VIDEO.)  

Remembering Pete Seeger For More Than His Folk Music

Many of us grew up with the folksongs of Pete Seeger and The Weavers, including Where Have All the Flowers Gone, If I Had a Hammer, Michael Row the Boat Ashore, and Tzena, Tzena. In those days, we didn't pay attention to his politics, only his singing.

In addition to performing Tzena, Tzena, Tzena, Seeger also recorded a version of Dayenu, from the Passover Haggadah, in the 1959 album Folk Songs for Young People. Seeger also performed Hineh Ma Tov with the Weavers in their 1963 Reunion at Carnegie Hall.

Seeger, who died last week at the age of 94, was an activist for many leftist causes, but although pressured to join the anti-Israel BDS movement, he declined to join it.

As Ben Harris wrote in The Times of Israel,

Seeger first visited Israel in 1964 and spent time on Israeli kibbutzim — just the sort of collective communal enterprises he loved. He performed Israeli folk tunes with the Weavers in the 1950s as part of the larger folk revival he was helping to champion. And just two years ago, he recorded a video for the Jewish retreat center Isabella Freedman that recalls the three questions posed by the Jewish sage Hillel.

Seeger was fascinated with Hillel and the three questions attributed to him in Pirke Avot (Ethics of the Fathers). In the video below he reflects on the questions and suggests that they be taught in all schools. 

(A SPECIAL NOTE FOR NEW EMAIL SUBSCRIBERS:  THE VIDEO MAY NOT BE VIEWABLE DIRECTLY FROM THE EMAIL THAT YOU GET EACH DAY ON SOME COMPUTERS AND TABLETS.  YOU MUST CLICK ON THE TITLE AT THE TOP OF THE EMAIL TO REACH THE JEWISH HUMOR CENTRAL WEBSITE, FROM WHICH YOU CLICK ON THE PLAY BUTTON IN THE VIDEO IMAGE TO START THE VIDEO.)