What do you like most about summer? Longer days and (sometimes) later bedtimes? Going to camp or relaxing at a pool or a beach? Hanging with friends, seeing new places, or developing new talents?
Summer is when the sun shines strongest and longest. As it says in the Zohar, a 13th-century book of Jewish wisdom (whose Hebrew title means “shine”), the sun’s light forms different colors, and the “light” of each person does, too. We all shine in different ways.
Whether it’s swimming, reading, travel, or friendship, summer is a time to let loose and glow.
Listen to the Full Playlist on Spotify
Explore Individual Tracks
Tracks 1 and 2
School’s out! Summer is a time for fun, and for some kids that means camp. “If I Had a Hammer” is a classic camp song which tells about “love between my brothers and my sisters.” We should try to get along with everyone, especially our siblings. In Hebrew, that’s called shalom bayit, peace in the home.
Track 1 “Are You Ready for Summer?”
“Are You Ready for Summer?” is written and performed by Lisa Loeb
Track 2 “If I Had a Hammer”
“If I had a Hammer” is written by Pete Seeger and Lee Hays and performed by Wendy and DB.
- Can you make a hammering sound?
- A ringing sound?
- A singing sound?
Tracks 3 and 4
Do you like waves? The Israeli song “Galshan” (pronounced gahl-SHAHN), inspired by the Beach Boys, describes surfing the waves of the Mediterranean Sea on the west coast of Israel.
In Hebrew, a wave is gal, to surf is galash, and surfboard is galshan. Whether you’re “surfin’ Israel” or “surfin’ USA,” riding the waves captures the spirit of summer.
As you listen to these songs, can you pretend you’re surfing?
Track 3 “Galshan”
“Galshan” is written by Danny Sanderson and performed by the Israeli band Kaveret.
Track 4: “Surfin’ USA”
“Surfin’ USA” is written by Brian Wilson (based on a Chuck Berry tune) and performed by the Beach Boys.
Tracks 5 and 6
Pirkei Avot (Ethics of the Ancestors), a book of Jewish teachings, tells us that everyone has their “hour to shine.” “What Makes You Glow” reminds us, with the help of Pirkei Avot, that each of us can shine in our own way. “In Summer,” from the film Frozen, reminds us that even snowmen can dream of a summer glow.
- What are some ways you shine?
- Go ahead, shout them out!
Track 5 “What Makes You Glow”
This song is written and performed by Jacob Spike Kraus.
Track 6 “In Summer”
“In Summer” is written by Kristen Anderson-Lopez and Robert Lopez and sung by Josh Gad.
Track 7
If you start in the very north of Israel — say, the city of Nahariya — and drive south, through Acco, Haifa, Herzliya, Tel Aviv, Ashdod, and Ashkelon, you’d be driving the whole way along the coast of the beautiful Mediterranean Sea.
As this song suggests, is anything more “summer” than driving along the coast with the window down, letting your hair blow in the breeze?
- Try dancing to this Hebrew song.
Track 7 “K’vish Hachof (Coast Road)”
This song is written and performed by the Israeli duo Static & Ben El (singer-songwriters Liraz Russo and Ben El Tavori).
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This playlist complements these books:
Did you try the bonus activity on the last page of the playlist booklet?
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More
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June 15, 2026