This is not the time for laughter rather it is a time of taking account of the day's actions and reflecting on them. The first part of the night, from sunset until midnight is considered a time of din, of strict judgment.
But why are the winds laughing the whole day and only half the summer's night?Īccording to the Torah, the night is divided into two parts. From the perspective of heaven, man's struggle to fulfill the desires of the body and animal soul must appear quite absurd. The chorus to the song speaks of the winds laughing. The soul does not fear death for it is more at home in heaven than on earth.
It is free to soar in the spiritual realms high above the earthly one. The Divine Soul is a part of G-d's Being and is not bound by the material limitations of the physical world. The swallow winging swiftly through the sky represents the soul. the body) is mournful because it has become attached to life and pleasure and fears the unknown of the next world. The calf bound on the way to market to be slaughtered is a metaphor for the body's journey towards death. But like an animal, the body is a slave to these desires. The body and the animal soul that enlivens it desire pleasure, wealth, and honor. The calf in the song represents the body, the seat of desire. But there a deeper message in this song that points towards spiritual liberation. They all find in it a universal message about the victims of oppression and the desire for political freedom. Many folk singers have sung this song, from Yiddish sopranos to klezmer bands to Joan Baez who sang it in English. The final line, however, does give a hint that this song is not talking about a calf and a swallow, but about freedom. The song concludes with a wry observation about the helplessness of calves and how easy it is to end their short lives. The farmer rebukes the calf, criticizing him for being one and goading him into growing wings like the swallow, as if he could. The calf is sad because he is going to die and the swallow is flying overhead, indifferent to the calf's plight. Is it just nostalgia or is there a deeper message? First let's review the words, and then look beneath the surface to find the hidden treasure of meaning.Īt first glance, this song seems like a light-hearted, somewhat sentimental dialogue between a farmer and his calf on the way to the slaughterhouse. During that time, CCDs offer emotional, physical, informational, and relational support related to childbirth education, breastfeeding promotion, and parent education, and connect families to health-care resources and services.ĬCDs are also trained to interact and communicate with other human services, social services, and maternal health professionals that may comprise the family’s support system.There is old Jewish folk song called Dona Dona that I learned as a child in summer camp and it calls to me now. The CCD-client relationship extends well beyond that of a birth or postpartum doula, typically beginning in early pregnancy and continuing until at least one year after birth. Using a peer-to-peer support model, Community Centered Doulas (CCDs) help clients navigate pregnancy, childbirth, and the postpartum period recognizing the social determinants of health that increase the risk of maternal and infant mortality and morbidity, as well as laws, policies, and systems that negatively impact marginalized and/or under-resourced communities.
A community-centered doula (CCD) provides emotional, physical, informational, and relational support during pregnancy, birth, and the postpartum period up to one year after birth in communities that are impacted by social systems that create adverse maternal health outcomes- a CCD provides culturally congruent support.