DESCRIPTION:
"Family" an original composition created by Amanda Leifer.
The piece is written for an acoustic guitar.

I wrote this piece of music with the theme of Shabbos, in mind. The song is in a minor key, which makes the song have sad undertones. I was inspired by the melody of “Hatikva,” and “Eshet Chayil,” Hatikva because it is the anthem of Israel, and Eshet Chayil because I sing it at my Shabbos table. My Great Grandparents were survivors of the tragedy of the holocaust, and I dedicate this song to their memory. The piece goes through 3 main stages: Shabbos before, during and after the holocaust.

In “Before,” I begin the song with notes from a harmonic minor scale to give the music a haunting eastern european vibe. The refrain then begins, and there is an ominous feel to this part of the song, to emulate the looming fear Jews had when the nazis invaded Germany.

In “During,” I began the section with harsh strumming to indicate a time of war and chaos. The holocaust separated families, and although the Jews no longer had their families, they had Shabbos. Many jews looked forward to Shabbos in the barracks, some even defied officers and lost their lives because they refused to work on the holy day. Some people were so strict about keeping shabbos, and used fabrics on their clothes to light Shabbos candles, and some stopped celebrating all together.

The final part of my music is Shabbos “After” the holocaust. It is about the struggle for Jews to keep faith in God during such harsh times. It’s bittersweet, the holocaust is over, families have been broken but Shabbos still remains. It is relevant to me, because if I ever doubt my faith, I can remember how strong my great grandparents were who tried to keep their faith, in such harsh times.