"Raisins and Almonds" is a Jewish lullaby by Abraham Goldfaden

Abraham Goldfaden

Abraham Goldfaden ; was an Russian-born Jewish poet, playwright, stage director and actor in the languages Yiddish and Hebrew, author of some 40 plays.Goldfaden is considered the father of the Jewish modern theatre.In 1876 he founded in...

, so well known that it has assumed the status of a folk song. It has been recorded as both a vocal and instrumental by many artists over the years, including Itzhak Perlman

Itzhak Perlman

Itzhak Perlman is an Israeli-born violinist, conductor, and instructor of master classes. He is regarded as one of the pre-eminent violinists of the 20th and early-21st centuries.-Early life:...

 and Benita Valente

Benita Valente

Benita Valente , is a distinguished American soprano whose long career has encompassed the operatic stage as well as performance of lieder, chamber music and oratorio. She is especially lauded for her interpretations of Mozart and Handel, but she also excelled in certain Verdi roles...

. It is a common lullaby among European Jews (Ashkenazim). This song has multiple translations, and multiple versions which have slight changes in both Yiddish and English lyrics. One verse of the song appears in the Herman Wouk

Herman Wouk

Herman Wouk is a Pulitzer Prize-winning American author of novels including The Caine Mutiny, The Winds of War, and War and Remembrance.-Biography:...

 novel War and Remembrance

War and Remembrance

War and Remembrance is a novel by Herman Wouk, published in 1978, which is the sequel to The Winds of War. It continues the story of the extended Henry family and the Jastrow family starting on 15 December 1941 and ending on 6 August 1945. This novel was adapted into a mini-series presented on...

in Yiddish as well as an English translation, and also in the TV miniseries based on the book.

External links

• Lyrics and miscellaneous other materials related to the song
• Lyrics, written using the Yiddish alphabet, and a recording of the song