Dr. Emily AronoffCantor Jeff Klepper and Rabbi Jeff Salkin wrote a fantastic tune that simply tells the story- and I’ve used as a ‘sermon’ or in lieu of a non-musical story in a Yom Kippur service for young children and their families. Share an interactive retelling of the Jonah and the Whale story in Yom Kippur with this guide. In this blog post, explore the importance of this tale during Yom Kippur services for kids and learn how to share a playful ‘puppet show’ version of the story accompanied by an engaging song.
This fun and educational song features simple lyrics and a catchy melody that’s perfect for young children. With visual props such as Jonah Puppet, ‘God’s Voice’ Mic Prop, a boat, and Whale Puppet, kids will become immersed in the story, encouraging active participation and reinforcing key messages related to Yom Kippur and the tale of Jonah.
Props
These are the props that I use (some of the links in this post are affiliate links and if you go through them to make a purchase I will earn a commission. The cost to you is not impacted)
Jonah Puppet (also used as any biblical characters)
‘God’s Voice’ Mic
Whale Puppet
Musical Modeling:
Here is an example of how I share it to engage kiddos and grown ups. In planning and practicing how I present it, I make sure to create ‘roles’ and offer the congregation opportunities to participate in ways that they might want to that are necessarily related to the story but are relevant and appropriate interests and skills of the community with whom I am celebrating.
Presented with permission from Jeff Klepper. Generously, Jeff has offered all of us the chords, music, and lyrics here. Jonah and The Whale is © 1978 Jeff Klepper & Jeff Salkin
For more on exploring Yom Kippur with littles:
Stop Teaching Kids That This Holiday Is About Saying I’m Sorry
Hope this is a useful model and you find a way to use it in a way that represents your style and your community’s interests 🙂 As always, let me know if you have comments or questions!
