“Eyle toyldes noyekh” (These Are the Generations of Noah)

Circa 1950s-1960s. Sung by Ruth Rubin.

“These Are the Generations of Noah” is a song to help with remembering Hebrew words. Featured words are: father, clothing, thread, bread, thought, eight, dove, stall, bitter, cow, morning, dear, fire, meat, and water, among other words. Each Hebrew word is paired with its Yiddish counterpart. The list of words is bracketed. The song begins with: “From liquor, one gains strength. A glass of wine is the main thing. From wine, one gets drunk.” The song ends with: “Next year in Jerusalem.” This recording was made by ethnomusicologist Ruth Rubin. She collected 1,900 Yiddish folksongs and field recordings between 1949 and the 1970s.