History and Culture

Hanukkah Songs and Games

December 16, 2025

by Isabel Watkins

Illustration from *The Living Heritage of Hanukkah*, National Jewish Welfare Board records (I-337)

The festival of Hanukkah is a joyous celebration of religious freedom, an eight-day reminder of the Maccabean triumph in 165 B.C.E for Jews to practice and teach Judaism where it had been unjustly outlawed, and a chance to reflect on the faith that remains alight among the Jewish people to this day. Song and game play an important role in Hannukah observance, for this holiday is an effervescent one!

We, at AJHS, keep many wonderfully educational and illustrative Hanukkah materials that show us a colorful glimpse into the ways that this holiday has been celebrated by Jewish Americans for generations.

One of the most cited Hanukkah songs in our collection is “Rock of Ages”.

Rock of Ages sheet music, *The Living Heritage of Hanukkah,* National Jewish Welfare Board records (I-337), Series C: Women’s Organizations’ Services, Diane Coran Files.

Rock of Ages lyrics from *Songs for Hanukkah*, Jewish Education Press, National Jewish Welfare Board records (I-337), Series C: Women’s Organizations’ Services, Diane Coran Files.

Ma’oz Tzur, (literally, “Rock of Strength”) but translated in English to Rock of Ages, was written sometime between the 12^th and 13^th centuries in modern-day Germany by an unknown Jewish poet. The lyrics reflect on a history of Jewish suffering and liberation from ancient enemies and celebrate God’s protection of the Jewish people.

“Hanukah is a merry holiday. Tops spin ‘round, candles burn. Oh, let us sing and dance.”

Hanukkah song lyrics from *Songs for Hanukkah*, Jewish Education Press, National Jewish Welfare Board records (I-337), Series C: Women’s Organizations’ Services, Diane Coran Files.

The “Dreydl” song found in *Hanukkah and the Young Child*, published in the Jewish Early Childhood Education Library by the Jewish Education Press in 1969, National Jewish Welfare Board records (I-337), Series C: Women’s Organizations’ Services, Diane Coran Files.

And below, a clever riff on the classic Christmas poem “T’was the Night Before Christmas”:

Channukah Edition, 1973, Whiteside Jewish Chapel, The Office of the Jewish Chaplain, Fort Riley, Kansas; National Jewish Welfare Board records (I-337), Series C: Women’s Organizations’ Services, Diane Coran Files.

In addition to music, Jewish communities have developed a plethora of games and activities that celebrants can play during the festivities. The most traditional game is of course dreidel. Participant use the Hebrew letters on each side nun, hey, gimel, and shin) as part of a simple game that has been part of the Hanukkah custom for centuries. Below are rules for “Draydel” along with a list of other games from a publication by the Women’s Branch of the Union of Orthodox Jewish Congregations of America circa 1980, National Jewish Welfare Board records (I-337), Series C: Women’s Organizations’ Services, Diane Coran Files.

Alongside games and songs, Hanukkah can be a time to get creative. Below are some instructions for Hanukkah-related arts and crafts from the Chanuko Decorations Workbook, written and illustrated by Helen Berland and Della Levy for the National Federation of Temple Sisterhoods, circa 1980.

Isabel Watkins

Isabel joined the American Jewish Historical Society in October of 2024 as the Senior Manager of Donor Relations and Data. She holds a BA in Comparative Politics from the University of Kentucky and an LLM in Human Rights Law from the University of Edinburgh. Isabel lives in Brooklyn and loves reading and writing about art, history, textiles and culture. Her passion for historic preservation and dissemination is what led her to AJHS and she is overjoyed to be contributing to the organization’s advancement.