Oh Chanukah

Jewish and Israeli music
Religious
Contemporary Piyyut Zemirot Nigun Pizmonim Baqashot
Secular
Klezmer Sephardic Mizrahi Mainstream and jazz Classical Jewish art music
Israel
Hatikvah Jerusalem of Gold
Piyyutim
Adon Olam Geshem Lekhah Dodi Ma'oz Tzur Yedid Nefesh Yigdal
Dance
Israeli folk dancing Ballet Horah Yemenite dancing
Music for Holidays
Shabbat Hanukkah Blessings Oh Chanukah Dreidel song Al Hanisim Mi Y'malel Ner Li Passover (Haggadah) Ma Nishtana Dayenu Adir Hu Chad Gadya Echad Mi Yodea

Oh Chanukah (also Chanukah, Oh Chanukah) is an English version of the Yiddish Oy Chanukah (Yiddish: חנוכּה אױ חנוכּה Khanike Oy Khanike). The English words, while not a translation, are roughly based on the Yiddish. "Oy Chanukah" is a traditional Yiddish Chanukah song. "Oh Chanukah" is a very popular modern English Chanukah song. This upbeat playful children's song has lines about dancing the Horah, Spinning Dreidels, or Shining Tops. eating latkes, lighting the candles and singing happy songs.

Naming

According to archives at the University of Pennsylvania Library, "Freedman Jewish Music Archive", alternate names the Yiddish version of song has been recorded under include "Khanike Days,"Khanike Khag Yafe", "Khanike Li Yesh", "Latke Song (Khanike Oy Khanike)", "Yemi Khanike", and "Chanike Oy Chanike."^[1] Chanukah is and was sometimes written as Khanike as that was the standard transliteration from Yiddish according to the YIVO system.

Use in classical music

The Society for Jewish Folk Music in St. Petersburg published two classical compositions which make extensive use of this tune:

• "Freylekhs" for solo piano, by Hirsch Kopyt (published in 1912 but performed as early as 1909)
• "Dance Improvisation" for violin and piano, by Joseph Achron (published in 1914, composed December 1914 in Kharkov)

There is no formal connection between Achron's work and Kopyt's, except for the shared tune. According to the musicologist Paula Eisenstein Baker, who published the first critical edition of Leo Zeitlin's chamber music (2008), Zeitlin wrote an orchestral version of Kopyt's piano piece sometime before June 13, 1913 (Zeitlin conducted it four times that summer) and later included this orchestral version in his overture "Palestina." Joachim Stutschewsky elaborated on Kopyt's piece in a work for cello and piano called "Freylekhs: Improvisation" (1934).

The works by Kopyt, Achron, and Stutschewsky share two distinct melodies: the one that later became "Oh Chanukah, Oh Chanukah" and an arpeggiated tune. In all three pieces, this arpeggiated melody comes first, followed by "Oh Chanukah, Oh Chanukah." However, both tunes are written together as one single melody at the top of Achron's score, and the structure of these compositions suggest that the two melodies were in fact a single one. The arpeggiated tune does not feel introductory, and it returns several times throughout Achron's work. If they were one tune and not two, then we have an interesting question: Why did only half the tune get lyrics?

Versions

Alternate Yiddish versions and pronunciations

A very common Yiddish version of the song is below with alternate words, lines, verses, or pronunciations on the right. The bolded words are what is changed. The "(x2)" in the bottom left indicated that part is repeated.

Hebrew version

There is also a Hebrew version (ימי החנוכה), which has the same melody, but its words--penned by Avraham Avronin^[3]--and meaning are entirely different. In Israel, its popularity is not matched to the popularity of the English version in English speaking countries, or the Yiddish version in the past, whereas for instance, Sevivon, Sov, Sov, Sov has a high popularity in Israel.

See also

• Hanukkah
• Hanukkah music
• Passover music
• Christmas music
• Ma'oz Tsur

References

1. ^ University of Pennsylvania "OY CHANUKAH"
2. ^ BBYO Chanukah - BBYO
3. ^ "ימי החנוכה/"Yemei HaChanukkah" (Hebrew)". Zemereshet. Retrieved 12 June 2014. 

External links

• YouTube Video - Young boy singing "Oy Chanukah" (the Yiddish version)

Hanukkah Traditions Symbols Menorah (Hanukiah) Dreidel (Sevivon) Gelt Public menorah Foods Latkes (Levivot) Sufganiyah Buñuelos Music "Ma'oz Tzur (Rock of Ages)" "Dreidel Song" "Oh Chanukah" Other Chrismukkah Thanksgivukkah Maccabean Revolt Events Seleucid Empire Temple in Jerusalem Maccabees Hasmonean Kingdom Historical accounts 1 Maccabees 2 Maccabees Miracle of the cruse of oil People Mattathias Simeon Eleazar Jonathan Judah Antiochus IV Epiphanes List of Judean rulers Battles Wadi Haramia Beth Horon Emmaus Beth Zur Beth Zechariah Adasa Dathema Elasa