Day 22. Chanukah Music: Joyful Resistance.

Music has always been a vital part of Chanukah, from traditional Hebrew songs like Maoz Tzur to modern melodies celebrating hope, freedom, and identity. Singing these songs while lighting the menorah reinforces communal memory and collective resilience. Each note carries the triumph of perseverance over oppression and the joy of reclaiming cultural and spiritual identity.

In many households, families improvise, compose, or dance along, making music a living, adaptive expression of faith and resistance. Songs connect generations, teaching children about courage, values, and the sacredness of persistence. Music thus becomes a vessel for shared history and a catalyst for spiritual and social renewal.

UUism affirms the transformative power of music. Through hymns, chants, and collective song, we strengthen community bonds and witness to justice, hope, and spiritual awakening. Chanukah’s musical traditions remind us that faith, like music, requires active participation. Each voice contributes to the collective light that sustains resilience.

“Singing is a place of refuge and a practice of communal interdependence. We sing to remind one another: we are alive, we are strong, we are together, we will survive.” -Rabbi Ari Lev of Let My People Sing

Reflection: How does music support your spiritual and ethical commitments this season?