In the spirit of the Thanksgivukkah season, I have taken the liberty of adapting a favorite Thanksgiving hymn for this once-in-a-lifetime Chanukah.
Of course, I offer my apologies to Theodore Baker, who wrote those familiar English words back in 1894. However, in fairness, it should be noted that Mr. Baker, himself, was appropriating an old Dutch folk hymn whose original words apparently celebrated the Dutch victory over Spanish forces in the Battle of Turnhout. If you’re interested in all this, you can find more information here. Oh, and if you need a refresher on the melody, there’s a lovely YouTube recording here.
In any case, I hope you enjoy my adaptation and Happy Thanksgivukkah!
We gather together
But Maccabees rose up
We’re cleaning and beaming
So now, we thank God for
and the chance to be free.
See the original article here: http://blogs.betheltemplecenter.org/jkraus/2013/10/24/a-hymn-for-thanksgivukkah/
