Children of Trochenbrod
Who can ever know or say
What makes a heart go blind
What paves the road to hatred
Or what shadows fill the mind
What voice cries out in memories
What sacred words unspoken
Demand each generation
Try to heal what has been broken?
From the heart of a wilderness
By the labor of their hands
The People built this town
Row by row they plowed the land
Friday night by candlelight
The ancient prayers were read
Celebrating Shabbos
Singing songs and breaking bread
Chorus
We remember
We remember
We are the children of Trochenbrod
There were whispers on the wind
In nineteen forty one
That the war would come to Trochenbrod
But there was nowhere left to run
Rumors of the camps came in
With refugees each day
They were trying to find safety
And stay out of history’s way
In August nineteen forty two
Trochenbrod stood brave
Hitler’s army gave them shovels
They were forced to dig their graves
Soldiers lined them up like bottles
And they did not waste a round
Not a single soul was spared
Five thousand lifeless on the ground
Then the Nazis stole the paving stones
And filled in every well
Then they took a torch to Eden
And they turned it into hell
There was nothing left but ash
They planted trees to hide their shame
Though wicked men tried to erase it
We know this place has a name!
All the children of Trochenbrod
Anachnu kol b’nei Trochenbrod (Hebrew)
Mir zeinen alle die kinder fon Trochenbrod (Yiddish)
Todas es criances de Trochenbrod (Brazilian Portuguese)
And we remember!