The time passes onward, the years circle round
With feasts, fasts, and festivals each season is crowned
They join past and present, bring distant lands near
Unite friends and families as year follows year—
In autumn when Tishrei’s new moon is agleam
Rosh HaShana begins the yamim nora’im
Shana tova tikateyvu, good wishes abound
While apple and honey go cheerfully round.
Soon t’kiya! will sound as Yom Kippur begins
The Day of Atonement, forgiveness from sins
The solemn Kol Nidre, the shofar’s loud blast
The Book of Life sealed as the judgment is passed.
Just after Yom Kippur, sukkot can be seen
In backyards and laneways, their roofs topped with green
We welcome ushpizin—in Hebrew, orkhim
Shake etrog and lulav—the arba minim.
On Shmini Atzeret, we leave the sukkah
In time to rejoice upon Simkhat Torah
Read the last of Dvarim and the first of Breyshit
Then dance with the Torah—its cycle complete.
When freezing winds blow through the long winter’s night
The candles of Chanukah shed a sweet light
As frost nips the air and snow covers the ground
We eat golden latkes and dreydls spin round.
More bleak winter days when the fields and lakes freeze
Then comes Tu biShvat, the New Year of the Trees
Dried figs, dates, and raisins midst winter’s dark gloom
Remind us in Israel, the almond’s in bloom.
Then Purim, and Esther saves all of the Jews—
And with Mordechai evil Haman subdues
Megilla and gragars and costumes and fun
We eat homentashn—prune filling or mohn.
At last winter’s over and springtime draws near
We clean out our chometz for Peysakh is here
Haroset, maror, karpas, zroah, matzah
We sing through the seder right to Chad Gadya.
The Omer begins when the seders are done
Then it’s forty-nine days to the sixth of Sivan
No weddings, bar mitzvahs, or such revelry
Except Lag Ba’Omer (that’s day thirty-three).
Shavuot is one of the shlosh regalim
To the Temple they came with the first bikurim
Today we eat cheesecake and blintzes likewise
Then read from the Sages from dusk till sunrise.
We grieve for Jerusalem on Tisha B’av
The day of deep mourning all others above
Our sad lamentations the centuries cross
For the Temple’s destruction, and exile and loss.
But hope for the new year becomes our refrain
For now Rosh Hashana comes round once again
Another year ended, another begun
The cycle starts over – but my song is done.
SHELLEY POSEN is a Canadian songwriter and performer of his own and traditional songs. He writes in many styles and on many subjects. His songs are widely recognized for their wit, craftsmanship, and the profound effect many seem to have on listeners.
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