Grammen

Grammen are ditties sung to a particular tune, usually on Purim. Here's a random example that I found on youtube.





In our family, grammen are also sung at family celebrations, such as Bar Mitzvahs, and may be set to many different tunes. Are they still really grammen sans the holiday and tune? I don't really know, but that's what we called them.

Grandpa Ralph used to be the official composer of the lyrics, but I have been in charge for a while now.

This one is engraved in my memory. At the time that I performed it along with Lennie and Karen, we were 10, 6, and 4 years old.

Written by Grandpa Ralph, we sang it at cousin David Warburg's Bar Mitzva in 1966 to the tune of "Erev Shel Shoshanim."

Debbie:
I am Debra Sue
I'm known to most of you
At Ronnie's Bar Mitzva there was only me
Now we are three

Lennie:
Lennie Mark is my name
I have one claim to fame
On Ronnie's Bar Mitzva I was born
Early on that Shabbos morn

Karen:
I am Karen Ann
I'm the youngest of the clan
I'm four years old and a mazik I am told
A mazik I am told

Refrain:
We're happy to be here
to wish David good cheer
Mazal tov and bracha
to the whole mishpacha

All:
David was a model child
but some mothers though him wild
when he came strolling down the street
all the mothers yelled, "Retreat!"

There were some other verses about David, the Bar Mitzva boy, but I can't remember them, except that one ended with the notable phrase:
"and stuffed one up his nose."

This is actually cousin Ronnie's Bar Mitzvah (please note that it confirms my verse in the song - of the three siblings in my family,there was only me!), but I haven't any picture from David's.