"From the rhythmic tapping at the start through the thunderous, responsive “Chayei arichei — ARICHEI” all the way to the end, I felt no other tune could ever be as stirring"

One of my earliest memories is of enjoying the various records playing on our family’s record player. My favorite was London Pirchei’s Borchi Nafshi, with the blue and white techeiles tzitzis hanging down from the jacket. And the song I loved best was “YEKUM PURKON.” From the rhythmic tapping at the start through the thunderous, responsive “Chayei arichei — ARICHEI” all the way to the end, I felt no other tune could ever be as stirring. Fast-forward 25 years, and I was a kindergarten morah. I had already decided that I wanted my alef-beis song to be sung to a Yiddishe melody but one that would be easy for children to learn. Then it hit me: What about the “Yekum Purkon” from my childhood? I tried fitting it to the letters of the alef-beis — and it worked! Until today, that is the tune to which my little students and I sing the osiyos of the alef-beis.

—C.T.

Brooklyn, NY

(Originally featured in Mishpacha, Issue 870)