Songs for Our First Gathering and the High Holy Days
Listen to these songs all week long—as lullabies or car music, or as background music for dancing and art activities! The songs will introduce your family to music we’ll sing at our August 23 Family Education gathering, music for the High Holy Days, and concepts we’ll explore throughout the year.
Songs for the August 23 Family Education Gathering
Boker Tov (Good Morning) Song
Boker Tov Means Good Morning (C. Paley)
Boker tov, boker tov means good morning.
Rise and shine, boker tov, boker tov.
Boker tov, boker tov means good morning.
Rise and shine, boker tov, boker tov.
Boker tov, boker tov to (name). (2×)
Boker means “morning,” and tov means “good.”
Shalom Chaverim (Hello/Goodbye/Peace, Friends)
Shalom chaveirim, shalom chaveirim, shalom, shalom
L’hitra-ot, l’hitra-ot, shalom, shalom
שָׁלוֹם חֲבֵרִים, שָׁלוֹם חֲבֵרִים
שָׁלוֹם, שָׁלוֹם
לְהִתְרָאוֹת, לְהִתְרָאוֹת
שָׁלוֹם, שָׁלוֹם
Slichah, Todah, B’vakashah (C. Paley)
Excuse Me, Thank You, Please/You’re Welcome
Slichah, Todah, B’vakashah, with them you’re always right
Slichah, Todah, B’vakashah, it’s good to be polite
My father gets me a new toy, I say todah to show my joy
I give a chair to my Grampa and I say b’vakashah
Slichah, Todah, B’vakashah, shalosh milim yafot (three nice words)
Slichah, Todah, B’vakashah, shalosh milim kalot (three easy words)
Aba notein li matanah (Dad gets me a gift)
Ani omeir todah, todah (I say thank you)
Ani magish kisei lasav (I offer a chair to my grandfather)
V’omeir b’vakashah (and say please/you’re welcome)
Slichah (סְלִיחָה): Sorry or excuse me
Todah (תּוֹדָה): Thank you
B’vakashah (בְּבַקָּשָׁה): Please or you’re welcome
Alef-bet Song (Hebrew Alphabet)
David Melech (David, King of Israel)
This song helps children learn some basic vocabulary: kein (yes), lo (no), ima (mother), aba (father), geshem (rain), and shemesh (sun).
David Melech Yisra-eil
דָוִד מֶלֶךְ יְשׂרָאֵל
Chai, chai v’kayam (3×)
חַי חַי וְקַיָם
Ken / Lo (yes / no): כֵּן / לֹא
Ima / Aba (mother / father): אִמָא / אַבָּא
Geshem / Shemesh (rain / sun): גֶּשֶׁם / שֶׁמֶשׁ
Songs for the Upcoming High Holy Days
Avinu Malkeinu (Traditional)
God is our parent (Avinu) and our ruler (Malkeinu)—different ways we can view or experience God. We want God to be compassionate (choneinu) like a parent and answer us (va’aneinu). Listen for the word tzedakah (justice). Our “deeds are wanting”—we want to do better in our actions.
This is closely related to the task of “returning” during the High Holy Days: we come humbly before God to ask forgiveness.
L’shanah Tovah (High Holy Days Niggun)
May you be written in the Book of Life for a good year. In this song, Bikel adds v’tichateimu: “and may you be sealed” for a good year.