London-born Ben Reuven came on Aliya in 1966 soon after graduating from Cambridge University with a degree in Modern languages. He settled in Jerusalem and was the pioneer of simplified English, French and Arabic teaching newspapers for the Israeli school system. Over the years he also developed into a prolific singer-songwriter with one-man musical shows about Jerusalem, Herzl and Zionism and the heroes of the Bible. For many years he has been writing and performing songs about Raoul Wallenberg and the rescuers of the Holocaust as a member of the Jerusalem Working group for commemorating the major Jewish and non-Jewish rescuers of the Holocaust. His unique songs have been widely acclaimed and are also available on CD.

THE RESCUERS

Words and music: Ben Reuven

Rabbi Michael Ber Weissmandl and Gizi Fleischmann in Bratislava;
George Mantello and Recha Sternbuch in Switzerland;
Raoul Wallenberg, Per Anger, Giorgio ”Jorge” Perlasca, Carl Lutz, Monsignor Angello Rotta in Budapest; Josef and Rivka Bau in Plashow;
Chiune Sugihara in Lithuania;
Hillel Kook (alias Peter Bergson) in New York;
Rabbi Solomon Schonfeld and Nicholas Winton in Britain;

The list is small
Their task is great
To rescue Jews
From their tragic fate
In the darkness of the night
They shine their light
The courageous few
With a sacred task
To save the Jew.
Boldly they step into the darkness
They do not hesitate
They will not, they cannot
Leave the Jews to their dismal fate
The Rescuers….

Let their names be inscribed forever
In the Golden Book of Life
Tell it to our children
For generations yet to come
How they saved tens of thousands of our people
From the Nazi Gehinnom.
So tell the world their story
Their heroic feats make known
Not for fame or glory,
With them we were not alone

SPOKEN:
All over Europe
When all hope of deliverance had gone
Lights suddenly went on.
In Slovakia, in Budapest
In the East and the West
The rescuers rose up
The doomed Jews to wrest
From the Nazi beast,
Of humankind they were the best..
The Rescuers…

Copyright Ben Reuven and Jerusalem Songs, August 2004, 02-6536764

THERE IS A MAN: FOR YOU RAOUL…

A song-tribute to Raoul Wallenberg on his 75th birthday
Words and music: Ben Reuven

There is a man
They won’t let go
He is alive
Yes we know
His name is Raoul
And he’s a hero,
He is alive
So let him go!

President Putin
We want to know
If Wallenberg lives
Then let him go!
Tell us the truth
We must know
If Wallenberg lives
Then let him go!

Now is the time
To turn the key
To open the door
And set him free
Send him home
To his family
Answer the prayers
Of humanity…

40 years in prison
Is far too long
For you Raoul
We sing this song
You saved so many lives
You did no wrong
For you Raoul
We sing this song

Copyright, Ben Reuven, Jerusalem, 1987, 02-6536764

LOUISE AND MARIE

Words and music: Ben Reuven
(Written after their historic visit to Jerusalem on the 6oth anniversary of Raoul Wallenberg’s disappearance)

Louise and Marie
So happy to be
With all their friends
In Israel,
Louise and Marie
So good to see
Raoul’s family
Von Dardel.

Your beauty and grace
Shines from your face
Filling us all with your light,
The message you bring
Is so inspiring
Together we’ll win the fight.

The search will go on
Until the truth becomes known
For we cannot leave
Raoul alone,
Lost in the Gulag
His fate unknown…

The search will go on
And the day it will come
The day long delayed
When the truth is revealed
And Raoul returns
And the great wound is healed.

Louise and Marie
Your uncle will be proud
Of you and of Guy
For not giving up
For telling the world
The search will go on
Until the lost hero is found
And justice and truth will resound
For Louise and Marie.

Copyright Ben Reuven and Jerusalem Songs, February 2005, POB 3576 Jerusalem 91035, Tel: 02-6536764, Fax 02-6513853