Lyrics & Directions
Mattathias bold [flex both arms, showing strength]
Five great sons had he, [show 5 fingers of one hand]
Elieazar, oldest son, [show 1 thumb]
Simon, John and Jonathan, [show fingers #2, 3, and 4]
And Judas Maccabe, Judas Maccabe [hammer fists together]
This finger play was shared with me by a senior teacher at the Hebrew/Sunday school where I teach. The conversation opened with “at Chanukah time back in the day, we used to sing this song about Judas Maccabeus” And she sang me this fingerplay.
While sharing this little known Chanukah gem in the video, I wanted to show a way to explore the motions of a fingerplay with a group before actually putting it all together with music. You’ll see a whole sequence that I would use to introduce the fingerplay by introducing the motions at the same time I share what the song is about. This gets the group involved with the play immediately. The words and tune are easily learned and once the group is singing and moving with independence, this makes a fun, easy round.
Spread it out over several lessons and listen for beautiful independent singing that begin and end together before suggesting parts in canon. The connection to Chanukah is not necessary to know in order to enjoy the song but Judas Maccabeus is important in Jewish history as having led a rebellion against the much mightier Seleucid Army (generally referred to now as Greek or Syrian Army in the Bible). Judas Maccabeus is remembered and celebrated because he restored the land and temple back to the Jewish people 161 BCE. The chanukah story about light and oil is the story of this final resistance against the general Anthiochus and Seleucid beliefs that lasted for eight nights, even though the little bit of oil should have been gone on the first night. By resisting rule by a foreign power and standing up for their beliefs, it led to the Seleucid army retreating and the temple and land being restored to its people.
John Crever is a driven educator with more than 30 years of music coaching, conducting, composition, instructional, production, management and community organizing experience. His ability to connect with students and teachers of diverse socio-economic and cultural backgrounds has enabled him to successfully teach general music and choir in communities ranging from those ravaged by urban blight, to suburban public and private settings, to overseas students in the international school system in the Arabian Gulf.