The Hebrew word day (pronounced “dai”) means “enough,” and dayenu translates literally to “it would have been enough.” Dayenu is a song of gratitude, a reminder to be thankful for the amazing things you experience in each moment of each day. As you get ready for Passover, encourage children to think about some experiences and gifts for which they are thankful. To help you get in the spirit, and tune up your singing voices for your seder, here are five different ways to practice “Dayenu.”
All of these artists are also featured on JKids Radio! Stream music from your desktop or the free app by visiting jkidsradio.com.
Follow along with this video from BimBam to learn the words and traditional melody for “Dayenu.”
“Dayenu” by the Maccabeats
Sure, you can sing “Dayenu” in the traditional melody, but you can also remix it with other genres. Follow along with the Maccabeats as they turn “Dayenu” into a doo-wop song, a polka track, a funk hit, a heavy metal screamathon, a sultry island ballad, and much more.
“It Would Have Been Enough (Dayenu)”
by Elana Jagoda
Artist Elana Jagoda fuses different musical styles in her work—her song “It Would Have Been Enough” drives home the message and themes of the Passover story – it would have been enough to be freed from slavery, it would have been enough to safely cross the Red Sea, but all of these things happened! Preview the full album Seder Song Revival here.
Dayenu Guitar Tutorial by Isaac Zones
Do you have a musician in the family? Isaac Zones offers a simple guitar tutorial so that you can add some live music to your Passover celebrations.
This adorable picture book perfectly sums up the meaning of “Dayenu” in a way that kids perfectly understand. The last page of the story also includes sheet music and lyrics so that you can learn “Dayenu” too!
Find activities, recipes, story ideas, and more on the PJ Library Passover hub.
March 22, 2018