Hallel Song of the Month – Tevet

Dear OJCS Family,

This month, the Hebrew month of Tevet, we are learning our third song of the Hallel prayer service. This song begins with the chant of the verse “Pitchu li…” in the traditional Hallel nussach (melody) and continues with a song at the words “Odecha, ki anitani…”. Grades 2-5 are learning this song in class and we will all come together to sing as a school at our next Rosh Chodesh assembly for the month of Shevat, on Thursday, Jan 30th. The words in Hebrew and English transliteration are below.

Enjoy!

Moreh David Kogut

פִּתְחוּ לִי שַׁעֲרֵי צֶדֶק

אָבֹא בָם, אוֹדֶה יָהּ. זֶה הַשַּׁעַר לַיְיָ

צַדִּיקִים יָבֹאוּ בוֹ

אוֹדְךָ כִּי עֲנִיתָנִי וַתְּהִי לִי לִישׁוּעָה

אֶבֶן מָאֲסוּ הַבּוֹנִים הָיְתָה לְרֹאשׁ פִּנָּה

מֵאֵת יהוה הָיְתָה זֹּאת הִיא נִפְלָאֹת בְּעֵינֵינוּ

זֶה הַיוֹם עָשָׂה יְיָ, נָגִילָה וְנִשְׂמְחָה בוֹ

pitchu li sha’arei tzedek, avo vam, odeh yah.

Zeh hasha’ar ladonai tzaddikim yavo’u vo.

Odecha ki anitani vattehi li lishu’ah.

even ma’asu habbonim hayetah lerosh pinnah.

Me’et adonai hayetah zot hi nifla’ot be’eineinu.

Zeh hayom asah adonai, nagilah venismechah vo.

Hallel songs

Hello OJCS families!

We have been learning songs for the holiday prayer service of Hallel in our music classes. Each month, OJCS holds an all school assembly in honour of the new Jewish month on the monthly holiday of Rosh Chodesh. It is traditional to say the Hallel service in our morning prayers on Rosh Chodesh. At our assemblies, we sing one song from Hallel, as a school all together.

Here are recordings and the words to the two songs that we have learned so far this year.

Betzeit Yisrael

H’ Zecharanu Yevarech

Words for both songs:

Betzeit Yisrael and H’ Zecharanu

Grade 5 Music

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Grade 5 music has been off to a slow start this year. With the holidays coinciding with our Friday classes, as well as other interruptions to the schedule, we have only had a handful of classes so far. From now on, we will have more consistency and be able to get into a groove, where we can accomplish some great and exciting things.

So far, we had focused on learning a few songs that are associated with the Holidays. We learned the song “Avinu Malkeinu” around the time of Rosh hashanah and Yom Kippur, a song that students would be able to participate in, if they were in the synagogue on those days. Another mission of our music class this year is to learn songs from the Holiday prayer service called Hallel. We learned the song “Betzeit yisrael”, which is a song that I taught to many other classes in the school as well, so we could all sing it together at our last Rosh Chodesh assembly. We are now learning “H’ Zecharanu Yevarech”, another song from Hallel, which we will all sing together at the next Rosh chodesh assembly.

We have also now begun to learn to play the recorder. Students will now be bringing recorders home, to practice what we have done in class (apologies…). Each week ,they are taught to play new notes, and given challenges to master songs that use those notes. They are assessed regularly and are given “belts”, or coloured pieces of yarn to tie around the backs of their instruments, as they are able to play more challenging songs. We will continue with this unit for the next two months, and we plan on making some recordings and sharing with families when we are ready. The first few lessons are attached, which include a rubric and instructions for playing notes and new songs.

Betzeit Yisrael

One goal of OJCS music this year is for our students to learn some of the songs from the Hallel service that we say on Holidays. We began by learning the song “Betzeit Israel”, which is also traditionally sung at the Peach Seder. you can listen to the song at the bottom of this post and the words are below in Hebrew and in English transliteration.

Betzeit Yisrael Mimitzraim Beit Ya’akov Me’am Loez	בְּצֵאת יִשְׂרָאֵל מִמִּצְרָֽיִם בֵּית יַעֲקֹב מֵעַם לֹעֵז
Haytah Yehuda lekodsho Yisrael mamshelotav	הָיְתָה יְהוּדָה לְקָדְשׁוֹ יִשְׂרָאֵל מַמְשְׁלוֹתָיו
Hayam Ra’am Vayanos Hayarden tisov le’achor	הַיָּם רָאָה וַיָּנֹס הַיַּרְדֵּן יִסֹּב לְאָחוֹר
Heharim rakdoo che’elim geva’ot kivneh tzon	הֶהָרִים רָקְדוּ כְאֵילִים גְּבָעוֹת כִּבְנֵי־צֹאן
Mah lecha hayam	מַה־לְּךָ הַיָּם
Ki Tanoos	כִּי תָנוּס
hayarden	הַיַּרְדֵּן
Tisov le’achor	תִּסֹּב לְאָחוֹר
He’harim	הֶהָרִים
Tirkedoo che’elim	תִּרְקְדוּ כְאֵילִים
Geva’ot	גְּבָעוֹת
Kivneh tzon	כִּבְנֵי־צֹאן
Milifenei adon	מִלִּפְנֵי אָדוֹן
Chooli Aretz	חֽוּלִי אָֽרֶץ
Milifnei	מִלִּפְנֵי
Eloha yaakov	אֱלֽוֹהַּ יַעֲקֹב
Hahofechi Hatzoor	הַהֹפְכִי הַצּוּר
Agam mayim	אֲגַם־מָֽיִם
Chalameesh	חַלָּמִישׁ
Lemaynoh mayim	לְמַעְיְנוֹ־מָֽיִם

Grade 5 Music

In grade 5 music there’s been a lot on our plate. We have worked on our singing and school spirit by learning and performing the OJCS anthem. We’ve also been pushing forward on the recorder and developing skills on the instrument. The students have all been working on exercises in the practice book, performing playing tests for the class, and creating a video of themselves playing the recorder. And of course we’ve been having fun along the way!

Grade 5 Music

In Grade 5 music class, we have been doing many great things! We began the year with the students presenting on various musical topics to the class. It has been a really great experience as I have realized that there are a lot of keen musicians in the group who have a definite interest in developing as an artist. We will begin learning the recorder as a class in the near future. This is going to be great for the students to apply musical knowledge that they will have already learned at school and develop their own musicianship through the instrument. I hope the students are having as much fun classes I am. Let’s keep up the great work!