From Yom Kippur to Sukkot and Simchat Torah
G’mar Chatimah Tovah! גְּמַר חֲתִימָה טוֹבָה
May you be sealed in the Book of Life for a good year! I look forward to seeing you for Yom Kippur tonight and tomorrow, followed by Sukkot and Simchat Torah—great opportunities for learning, friendship, and spiritual enrichment for kids and the whole family.
Weekly Music and Activities
Listen to these songs all week long—as lullabies or car music, or as background music for dancing and art activities! Integrate the activities into mealtime, nighttime preparation, or daily play and family time.
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
Books for the Holidays
The Hardest Word
The Hardest Word on PJ Library is a book to explore together for Yom Kippur.
Tamar’s Sukkah
Tamar’s Sukkah on PJ Library is a book to explore together for Sukkot.
Sukkot Discussions and Activities
Discuss: Building and Living in the Sukkah
What makes our temporary sukkah feel different from our permanent house, and what makes it feel special?
If you could bring only three things into the sukkah to make it feel like “home,” what would they be?
How does sitting under an open roof and looking up at the stars change the way we feel?
What is one way everyone in our family helped build or decorate our space?
Discuss: Gratitude and Nature
Sukkot is a harvest festival. What is something from nature—like a fruit, a tree, or the weather—that you are most thankful for this year?
How does spending time outside help us appreciate the things we usually take for granted inside our regular homes?
What is the difference between things that are temporary, like the sukkah, and things that are permanent in our lives?
Discuss: Hospitality and Guests (Ushpizin)
Sukkot is famous for welcoming guests. Who is a fun or inspiring person—historical, biblical, or a friend—you would love to invite to dinner in our sukkah?
What do you think a guest brings to a room just by being there?
How can our family make sure that someone who feels lonely or left out is welcomed this season?
Make a Mini Sukkah
Kids can make their own mini sukkah from food items.
Blessings for the Sukkah and Lulav
Explore Sukkot blessings and instructions, including a video showing how to hold the lulav and etrog and shake the lulav. You can use the blessings in your own sukkah or when visiting someone else’s.
Songs for Sukkot
Sukkot is a holiday of harvest and thanksgiving.
Hodu L’Adonai (D. Maseng)
The recording uses words for Shabbat, but we’ll use the melody for these words from Psalm 118:1–4. We sing them as part of Hallel, a poem of praise, during festivals.
Hodu l’Adonai ki tov, ki l’olam chasdo.
הֹדוּ לַה׳ כִּי טוֹב, כִּי לְעוֹלָם חַסְדּוֹ
Yomar-na Yisra-eil, ki l’olam chasdo.
יֹאמַר-נָא יִשְׁרָאֵל, כִּי לְעוֹלָם חַסְדּוֹ.
Yomru-na beit Aharon, ki l’olam chasdo.
יֹאמְרוּ-נָא בֵית אַהֲרֹן, כִּי לְעוֹלָם חַסְדּוֹ.
Yomru-na yirei Adonai, ki l’olam chasdo.
יֹאמְרוּ-נָא יִרְאֵי ה׳, כִּי לְעוֹלָם חַסְדּוֹ.
Translation:
Give thanks to the Eternal, for God is good; God’s lovingkindness endures forever.
Let Israel say: God’s lovingkindness endures forever.
Let the house of Aaron say: God’s lovingkindness endures forever.
Let those who revere the Eternal say: God’s lovingkindness endures forever.
Lulav Shake (S. Dropkin)
Sukkot is a harvest holiday
The celebration lasts for seven days
We build our sukkah
Then we decorate
A special booth in which we congregate.
Chorus:
Do the lulav shake (shake, shake, shake) (3×)
Do the lulav shake.
The symbols of Sukkot are quite unique
They show God’s presence the entire week.
The etrog’s smell gets into the air
We wave the lulav everywhere.
Chorus
Hadas and aravah on either side
Surround the lulav that we shake with pride.
To the north, the south, the west and to the east
We celebrate and then we feast.
Chorus
Build a Sukkah (J. Black)
You get the boards, I’ll get some gourds
We’ll put some leaves on the roof on top of 2-by-4’s
Chorus:
Build a sukkah, build a sukkah,
We’re gonna build a sukkah, gonna live in it all week long
You get the popcorn, I’ll get the string
When we build our sukkah, yeah, we’ll dance and sing.
Shake your lulav to the ground, shake your lulav in the air
You know you shake it north, you shake it south
You shake it east, you shake it west—God is everywhere
We sleep in our sukkah, see the stars up above
It makes us thankful for all God’s love.
Songs for Simchat Torah
After Sukkot comes Simchat Torah. We read from the very end of the Torah and then from the very beginning—the story of creation.
Sweet as Honey (D. Nichols)
This song includes the blessing for studying Torah. Studying Torah is supposed to be as sweet as honey!
Sweet as honey, sweet as honey, sweet as honey on our tongue
Sweet as honey, sweet as honey, sweet as honey on our tongue
בָּרוּךְ אַתָּה יהוה אֱלהֵינוּ מֶלֶך–הָעולָם
אֲשֶׁר קִדְּשָנוּ בְּמִצְותָיו
וְצִוָּנוּ לַעֲסק בְּדִבְרֵי-תורָה.
Baruch Atah Adonai Eloheinu Melech ha-olam
Asher k’dishanu b’mitzvotav v’tzivanu
La-asok b’divrei Torah
La-asok b’divrei Torah
Sweet as honey, sweet as honey, sweet as honey on our tongue
Let us soak it up and let it all sink in
Sweet words of Torah
It’s All Good (R. Sherwin, with Sababa!)
Text: Psalm 136:1 and Genesis 1:31
Chorus:
It’s all good, it’s all good—God made it and it’s all good
We thank you, God, for the gifts you bring / For the food we eat, for the songs we sing
We thank you, God, for the earth and sky / For our family’s love as the days go by
Chorus
We thank you, God, for the night and day / For the gift of Torah that shows us the way
We thank you, God, for our Sabbath rest / For You are One, and we are blessed!
Chorus
Hodu L’adonai, L’adonai ki tov
Vayar Elohim et kol asher asah
V’hinei tov m’od
Give thanks to God, for God is good!
God saw everything that God had created, and it was good.
Once Upon a Time (Avni)
Once upon a time, it was right at the start,
And God said, “I’m gonna make light and dark.”
And God said (clap, clap), “It’s the first day,
And I did very good work today.”
Once upon a time, it was day number two.
The waters were parted, and heaven came through.
And God said (clap, clap), “It’s the second day,
And I did very good work today.”
Once upon a time, it was day number three.
The land appeared, all covered with trees.
And God said (clap, clap), “It’s the third day,
And I did very good work today.”
Once upon a time, it was day number four.
We had the sun and the moon and the stars galore.
And God said (clap, clap), “It’s the fourth day,
And I did very good work today.”
Once upon a time, it was day number five.
We had the fish in the water and the birds in the sky.
And God said (clap, clap), “It’s the fifth day,
And I did very good work today.”
Once upon a time, it was day number six.
The people and the animals were doin’ their tricks.
And God said (clap, clap), “It’s the sixth day,
And I did very good work today.”
Once upon a time, it was day number seven.
And God said, “I finished the earth and the heavens.”
And God said (clap, clap), “It’s the seventh day,
And I’m gonna rest all day today.”
“Yes,” God said (clap, clap), “It’s the seventh day.
And I’m gonna rest all day today.”
Enjoy!