Chords for The Man from Vilna

[F] _ _ _ _ [Bb] _ _ _ [Eb]
[Gm] I [Bb] _ _ _ _ _ _ _
_ _ [F] _ _ [Bb] _ _ _ _
[Dm] _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _
[Bb] _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _
_ _ [Gm] _ _ _ _ _ _
_ [Cm] _ _ _ [Bb] _ _ _ _
[Eb] _ _ [C] _ _ [F] _ _ _ _
_ _ _ met a man [Bb] last Sunday [Eb] who was on his way back home [F] from a wedding [Bb] in Chicago and [Dm] was traveling _ alone.
_ [Eb] He said he came from Vilna, [Bb] a survivor I could tell, _ [Cm] and I helped him with his suitcase.
[F] He could not walk very well.
A steward gave us [Bb] coffee [Eb] as we settled on the plane.
_ [F] And I asked him why [Bb] he bothers.
At [F] his age, there'd be no blame.
_ [Eb] He said no simcha is a burden, [Bb] though I miss my dear late wife.
_ [Cm] And then he shared with me a story that has changed my view [F] of life.
_ _ [Eb] _ [F] _ _ [Bb] I remember liberation, [Eb] joy and fear is intertwined.
[F] Where to go and [Bb] what to do, and how [Dm] to leave the pain behind.
_ _ [Eb]
My heart said, go to Vilna, [Bb] dare I pray it once again, [Cm] for the chance to find a loved
one, [Bb] or perhaps a [F]
childhood friend.
It took many months [Bb] to get there, [Gm] from the late spring to the [Cm] fall. _
[Bb] And as [F] I, many [Bb] others, [Dm] close to 400 in all.
And [Eb] slowly there was healing, _ [Bb] darkened souls now mixed with light.
_ [Cm] When someone proudly cried out, [Eb] Simchas Toi [Bb] Chahiz [F]
tonight.
_ [D] We [Gm] danced round and round in circles, [Cm] as if the world had done no wrong.
[Gm] From evening until morning, [Eb] filling up the shul [F] with song.
[Gm] Though we had no sefer torah [Cm] to clutch close to our _ hearts.
[Gm] In their place we held the future [Eb] of a past so torn apart. _ _ _ _ _
_ _ _ _ [Gm] _ _ _ _
_ _ [Cm] _ _ _ _ _ _
[Gm] _ _ _ _ _ _ [Cm] _ _
_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _
[Gm] _ _ _ _ _ _ _ [Ebm] _
_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _
_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _
_ [Dm] _ _ _ _ _ _ _
[C] _ _ _ [F] _ _ _ _
We ran as one [Bb] towards the shul, [Eb] our spirits _ _ _ _ [F] _
tore [Bb] apart the barricade.
In [F] defiance we would dance, _ [Eb] but the scene before our eyes [Bb] shook [F] us to the core.
_ [Cm] _ Scraps of [Eb] cedar bullet holes, and blood stains on the [F] floor.
_ _ _ Turning to [Bb] the eastern wall, we looked on [Eb] in despair.
_ [Bb] _
That [F] be no [Bb] scrolls to dance with, [Dm]
the holy ark was bare.
[Eb] Then we heard two children crying, [Bb] a boy and girl whom no one knew.
[Cm] And we realized that no children [Eb] were among us but [F]
those two.
_ _ [D] We [Gm] danced round and round in circles, [Cm] as if the world had done no wrong.
[Gm] From evening until morning, [Cm] filling up the shul [F] with song.
[Gm] Though we had no sefer torah [Cm] to gather in our arms.
[Gm] In their place we held those children [Eb] the Jewish people would give _ _ up.
_ _ _ _ _ [G] Ham _ [Eb] Yisroel Chah. _ _ _
_ _ _ _ [D] We [Gm] danced round and round in circles, [Cm] as if the world had done no wrong.
[Gm] From evening until morning, [Eb] filling up the shul [F] with song.
[D] [Gm] Though we had no sefer torah [Eb] to gather in our arms.
[Gm] In their place we held those children [Bb] the Jewish people [Eb] would give up.
_ [F] Ham [Eb] Yisroel Chah. _ _
[F] _ [Eb] The _ _ [F] _ Jewish _ [Eb] _ _ _ [Cm] _ _ _
people [Dm] _ will _ [G] live _ on. _ _ _ _ _ _
_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _
_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _