Mere families descended there
But millions did leave it,
The hardships that we there withstood
Did bring the Jews to nationhood
When we were slaves in Egypt.
We suffered very greatly
Under Pharaoh’s wicked edict,
The crushing work and cracking whips
Did slice our backs and break our hips
When we were slaves in Egypt.
God heard our cries, and brought us out
With wonders he achieved it,
But never did the scars quite fade
Upon our souls a mark was made
When we were slaves in Egypt.
To be a Jew means empathy
To strive for peace and breathe it,
Being willing to extend a hand
To strangers in a foreign land
For we were slaves in Egypt.
But to fight oppression fiercely
In our hearts we all believe it,
For each of us remembers how
Beneath the whip our backs would bow
When we were slaves in Egypt.
And never must another bear
The suffering that we did,
Yes, every Jew must toil, you see
To create a world where all are free –
For we were slaves in Egypt.
