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The Man From Vilna

Abie Rotenberg

Note: Bm in the chorus isn’t on 
the original, but it may sound better that way.

If you have any trouble playing or 
singing this song, please contact us here.

Capo 3+
  D               G
I met a man last Sunday 
         C
Who was on his way back home
        D             G
From a wedding in Chicago, 
           Bm
and was traveling alone
     C
He said he came from Vilna, 
       G
a survivor I could tell
       Am
And I helped him with his suitcase
          D
He could not walk very well

    D              G 
A steward gave us coffee 
       C
as we settled on the plane
      D                G
And I asked him why he bothers 
       Bm
at his age there'd be no blame
             C
He said “No simcha is a burden, 
            G
although I miss my dear late wife"
             Am
And then he shared with me a story 
           D
that has changed my view of life

Chorus
            Em
We danced round and round in circles 
            Am               Bm
as if the world had done no wrong
      Em
From evening until morning, 
        Am                D
filling up the shul with song
           Em
Though we had no sifrei torah 
    Am                   Bm
to clutch close to our hearts
           Em
In their place, we held the future
      D             C
of a past so torn apart

    D           G
I remember liberation, 
          C
joy and fear both intertwined
         D               G
Where to go, and what to do, 
             Bm
and how to leave the pain behind
     C
My heart said Go to Vilna 
         G
dare I pray yet once again
          Am
For the chance to find a loved one, 
      D
or perhaps a childhood friend

          D             G
It took many months to get there, 
             C
From the late spring to the fall
       D        G
And as I, many others, 
          Bm
close to four hundred in all
      C
And slowly there was healing, 
           G
darkened souls now mixed with light
      Am
When someone proudly cried out, 
       D
Simchas Torah is tonight

Chorus
  B7       Em
We danced round and round in circles 
           Am                 Bm
as if the world had done no wrong
     Em
From evening until morning, 
        Am                D
filling up the shul with song
           Em
Though we had no sifrei torah 
     Am                  Bm
to clutch close to our hearts
          Em 
In their place, we held the future, 
      D             C
of a past so torn apart

    D            G
We ran as one towards the shul, 
      C
our spirits in a trance
    D              G                 
We tore apart the barricade, 
      Bm
in defiance we would dance
         C
But the scene before our eyes 
  G
shook us to the core
   Am
Scraps of siddur, bullet holes, 
      D
and bloodstains on the floor

 D              G
Turning to the eastern wall, 
     C
we looked on in despair
        D                 G
There'd be no scrolls to dance with, 
    Bm
the Holy Ark was bare
          C
Then we heard two children crying, 
           G
a boy and girl who no one knew
     Am
We realized no children 
       D
were among us but those two

Chorus
B7         Em
We danced round and round in circles 
           Am                 Bm
as if the world had done no wrong
     Em
From evening until morning, 
        Am                D
filling up the shul with song
           Em
Though we had no sifrei torah 
    Am           Bm
to gather in our arms
           Em   
In their place, we held those children
             D               C
The Jewish people would live on

B7         Em 
We danced round and round in circles 
            Am                Bm
as if the world had done no wrong
     Em
From evening until morning, 
        Am                D
filling up the shul with song
           Em
Though we had no sifrei torah 
     Am                Bm
to clutch and hold up high
          Em
In their place, we held those children
D           C
Am Yisrael Chai

B7         Em
We danced round and round in circles 
           Am                 Bm
as if the world had done no wrong
     Em
From evening until morning, 
        Am                D
filling up the shul with song
           Em
Though we had no sifrei torah 
    Am            Bm
to gather in our arms
          Em
In their place, we held those children
            D                C
The Jewish people would live on
D           C
Am Yisrael Chai
             D               C
The Jewish people would live on
             D     Bm       Em
The Jewish people will live on

Purchase the official Journeys songbook on Eichler’s, Amazon or at your local Judaica Shop.

For Direct Orders

Email: manmenterprises@gmail.com.

Phone: 929 268 1699.

Phone (Israel): 02 651 1356.

Audio track available on CDBaby & iTunes.

1 COMMENT
  • Benjamin
    26th October 2019 at 4:53 pm
    Reply

    Very beautiful song. Just davened in the only working shul in Vilna today, where the story might’ve happened. It makes the song so much more impactful, being able to see the shul yourself. It works nowadays as a Chabad shul being mekarev Jews in Vilna. AM YISRAEL CHAI!!!

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