Hanukkah Music for Ages 6-8: PJ Library Soundtrack, An Oily Miracle

Oily Miracle Hero

Some miracles are big and splashy, like the splitting of the Red Sea in the Exodus from Egypt. If you were there for that miracle, you couldn’t miss it: raging winds, soaring water … a supersized event.

The Hanukkah miracle was different. It unfolded quietly and slowly. If you were a Maccabee using oil from one small jar to light the Menorah in the Holy Temple, you might say after a day or two, “Oh, look, the flame hasn’t gone out quite yet.” And a couple days later, “Wow, that’s cool, it’s still burning.” And after eight days, “I can’t believe it! That little bit of oil burned until new oil arrived. What a miracle!”

This playlist is about Hanukkah miracles we can taste, sing, and celebrate.

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Tracks 1 and 2

All the Jews are doing it — frying yummy things in oil to remember the miracle of the oil. Maybe latkes (potato pancakes) are your go-to, or sufganiyot (jelly donuts), or bimuelos (fritters in honey or syrup), or even sambusak (cheese or chickpea pastries).

The first song sings about a latke recipe. And once these latkes are sizzling, you’ll be faced with a “huge, enormous, big decision.” Do you top them with applesauce or sour cream?

Are you an applesauce person or a sour cream person?
- Or both?

Track 1 "Latke Recipe"

Performed by the Maccabeats, who put new lyrics to Walk the Moon’s “Shut Up and Dance.”

Track 2 "Applesauce vs Sour Cream"

Written and performed by the LeeVees.

Tracks 3 and 4

There are different ways that Jews have thought about miracles. For some, it’s a rare act of God. (The Hebrew word for miracle, nes, actually means a “sign.”) For others, the world is full of miracles: babies being born, flowers growing, the rising of the sun. (Even things science can explain still sometimes feel like miracles.)

The ancient rabbis wrote, “Never rely on a miracle.” What makes a miracle amazing is that you can’t expect that it will happen, and when it does, it inspires us. As the song says, “The last drop of oil / It just won’t see defeat.”

What do you think a miracle is?

Track 3 "Waiting on a Miracle"

This song was written by Lin-Manuel Miranda for the Disney film Encanto and performed by the Canadian singer Annapantsu.

Track 4 "Miracle of Light"

Written by Shmuel Marcus and performed by Benny Friedman.

Tracks 5 and 6

These two tracks remind us that the miracle of the oil is part of a bigger picture. When the Greeks wouldn’t let the Jews practice their religion, the “few” (the Maccabees) defeated the “mighty” (the Greeks) — another miracle. Later, when the people gathered in Jerusalem and saw that the light in the Temple hadn’t gone out — all because of one small jar of oil — they understood that a small people, the Jews, can be sustained through challenging times. A little jar can go a long way.

What do you think has kept the Jewish people going for so long?

Track 5 "Banjo Medley"

“Ma’oz Tzur (Rock of Ages)” and “Hanukkah Oh Hanukkah” are performed by Eric Lindberg of the bluegrass band Nefesh Mountain.

Track 6 "Kad Katan"

Words by Aharon Ashman and music by Yoel Velba, performed by Rinat Gabai.

Track 7

Hanukkah is about family, friends, and community. It’s about light and music, food and games, history and tradition, miracles and hope. Hanukkah is so much more than presents. Some families give simple presents; others don’t give presents at all, or they make sure to give tzedakah (a charitable donation to a good cause) as part of the celebration.

All this is true. And even so, wouldn’t it be an incredible miracle to get a puppy for Hanukkah?