Paul Robeson, Home for the Holidays

I urge you not to miss one of the great treats: the singing of Paul Robeson, the renowned actor, musician, linguist and humanitarian.  YouTube has a mix of 100 of his songs.  It's a great sampler.  There are also wonderful comments that bring the man to life.  I liked this one by SpecialHelen which Mindy read to me:  "When my father was a boy, he and his sister and parents fled Poland. It was a long and eventful train journey and my grandfather was beaten by a German guard. For whatever reason Paul Robeson was on the train, he sat with my grandparents and spoke to them in Yiddish to try and allay their fears. So, for me, listening to him is a priviledge."


Paul was blacklisted in the 1950s and we organized a concert for him at our house in Orange, NJ, to help him earn a living.  He held my newborn son, Joshua Paul, and sang, "Joshua Fit the Battle of Jericho."  It was a great blessing.  Josh has become a musician, too.  He wrote me a song, "Waltz for Maggie," which he has recorded for his new album.  He brought me a CD of the song, and I have been enjoying its gentle rhythms and lovely melody.  I hope all will enjoy his album.