Jug of Oil/Kad Katan

Hanukkah

Hanukkah is the winter festival of lights, the one Jewish holiday

that most non-Jewish people are familiar with. It commemorates the

victory of the Maccabee soldiers in 164 BCE over the Greek armies

that had conquered Israel and were forbidding the Jewish people from

practicing the Jewish religion. The Jewish temple had been defiled

with animal sacrifices, and after the Maccabees cleaned and purified the

temple, they looked for holy oil (oil that had been purified in a process

that took eight days) to relight the eternal lamp and rededicate the

temple (Hanukkah means dedication). Legend has it that the soldiers

found one small vial of oil that was enough to last just one night, but

instead it burned for eight nights, which is why Hanukkah is celebrated

for eight nights.

Kad Katan – words by Aharon Ashman, music by Yoel Welbe

This song celebrates and tells the story of the original jug of

oil that miraculously burned for eight days and kept the temple

lit after the Maccabees had driven out the Assyrian soldiers and

rededicated the Holy Temple in Jerusalem.

I teach the children to clap or stomp between each musical

phrase, along with the drum here.

Kad Ka-tan, Kad Ka-tan, Shmo-nah Ya-mim Shamno na-tan.

Col Ha-Am, Hit-pa-leh: Me-e-lav Hu Mit-ma-leh?

Col Ha-Am az Hit-ca-nes, Vi-Hich-riz ach zeh-u Nes!

I-lu-leh Kad zeh nish-ar, Mik-da-she-nu Lo Hu-ar.

Jug of oil, Jug of oil, for eight long days it was so loyal.

All the nation, asked as one, “Where was the oil coming from?”

Then they gathered with great cheer, declared a miracle had happened here.

If that jug had hidden from sight, our temple now would not have light.

Kad Ka-tan, Kad Ka-tan, Shmo-nah Ya-mim Shamno na-tan.

Col Ha-Am, Hit-pa-leh: Me-e-lav Hu Mit-ma-leh?

Col Ha-Am az Hit-ca-nes, Vi-Hich-riz ach zeh-u Nes!

I-lu-leh Kad zeh nish-ar, Mik-da-she-nu Lo Hu-ar.