Please Don't Hit/Al Takeh

Al Takeh – words by Sara Levi-Tanai, music by Emanuel Amiran

This song addresses the Yom Kippur tradition of asking for

forgiveness from those that we know that we have wronged, but can be used at any time of year to remind children about community building rather than hitting. For

ages 4 and up, I invite the children to stand in a circle, and then we do the dance listed below. For ages 4 and under, I do this as a sitting song, swaying back and forth on the final phrases. The children often spontaneously put their arms around each other.

Al takeh, lo na-eh. (show “no” with pointer finger waving back and forth)

Ten li yad, od echad. (put out right hand, then left hand)

Chaverim tovim ne-he-yeh, (in a circle move clockwise, then counter-clockwise,

varying direction with each phrase.)

Chaverim tovim ne-he-yeh.

Chaverim tovim ne-he-yeh,

Chaverim tovim ne-he-yeh.

Please don’t fight, it’s not right.

(repeat above directions)

Give me your hands, left and right.

What good friends we all shall be,

What good friends we all shall be.

What good friends we all shall be,

What good friends we all shall be.