ב”ה
Prayer of the Proud
The year was 1929, and Russian Jewry was under the tyrannical power of the Communists, who outlawed any public display of religious observance.
In her memoirs, the Rebbe’s mother, Rebbetzin Chana, recalled how she accompanied the Rebbe, then age 27, on what turned out to be his final departure from Russia. He was then engaged to be married to the Previous Rebbe’s youngest daughter, Chaya Mushka.
As morning broke on their overnight train ride, the Rebbe, at great personal risk, proceeded in full view of the Russian passengers, to pray the morning prayers while donning his Teffilin.
“The Prayer of the Proud” is the story of what ensued on that train, and the powerful message of Jewish pride it conveys.
DEDICATED BY NASHI AND DEBBY KAGEN
IN MEMORY OF SARA GITTEL KAGAN A’H
A TRUE LOVER OF JEWISH MUSIC."
Lyrics By:
RUVI NEW
Melody By:
CHANALE FELLIG- HAREL
Headed for the border, never to return
A mother sits in silence, her heart already yearns
For her son who sits beside her and for his future wife
Riga bound is he tonight and for his future life
As the morning light enters into the moving train
He reaches for a little bag in a manner much the same
As he does it every morning as he prepares to pray
His mother sees and she fears
What will the others say
Chorus:
“And the people of the earth will fear the name of G-d upon you”
Wrapped in the Teffilin, the crown upon the Jew
And there was no part of him, that he sought to hide
With simple faith and dignity, he wore his Jewish pride
One by one the travelers rose, in reverence and in awe
They had never seen such holiness in all their lives before
In a circle they protected him from the eyes of the KGB
Slowly he prayed, slowly he swayed, with full intensity
Chorus:
Mother and son now forced apart
To go their separate ways
But that wasn’t all she recalled
About the fateful day
For on that train she witnessed
A faith that would not bend
A faith that would feed others
Until the exile ends