Am Yisrael Chai! The People of Israel Live!
Am Yisrael Chai: Israel Songs for Kiddos is a collection of 12 original songs that introduce Israel through movement, Hebrew vocabulary, and joy. These songs are designed for the youngest Jewish learners, from babies on a caregiver’s lap to preschoolers in a circle, and for the educators and families who lead music with them.
The earliest associations children have with Israel should be felt before they are understood. That is the idea at the heart of this collection: connection before comprehension. Every song here builds familiarity, warmth, and belonging through play, participation, and relationship.
The Songs
- Israel’s Color Scarf Song
- Alef Bet
- Shalom Peek A Boo
- Happy Birthday Dear Israel
- Riding On A Camel (Bumpity Bump)
- Hebrew Body Moves (Clap Your Yadayim)
- Atsor! Stop! (Hebrew Freeze Dance)
- Big Trip to Israel on Yom Ha’Atzmaut
- Hebrew Animals Song
- Zum Gali Gali
- All of Israel (Kol Yisrael)
- Peaceful Ways (Shalom Aleichem)
Why I Created This Collection
Joyful, developmentally grounded songs about Israel and Hebrew vocabulary designed specifically for infants, toddlers, and their caregivers are hard to find. Most Jewish children’s music begins at the preschool level. This collection goes younger.
Several of these songs are lap songs, bouncing songs, and caregiver-mediated movement songs built for babies who are not yet walking. Others grow beautifully with children into preschool and beyond. All of them are designed to be used by anyone leading music with young Jewish children and families: ECC teachers, Tot Shabbat leaders, cantors, rabbis, songleaders, JCC staff, grandparents, and parents at home.
What's Inside the Songleader Guide
Each song entry walks through why the song exists, what it is doing developmentally, and how I use it in practice. Most include Hebrew vocabulary with transliteration and nikkud, movement activities and prop suggestions, and age-specific notes for working with infants, toddlers, and preschoolers. Several include chords and sheet music.
Familiarity with a song’s intent will help your facilitation feel grounded and natural. This guide is how I prepare, and I am sharing it so it can support the way you prepare too.
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Download Am Yisrael Chai Songleader Guide
Teaching notes, Lyrics, Slides, Hebrew vocabulary, and facilitation strategies for every song in the collection.
10 Israel Songs For Kiddos
Each month, I share a collection of ten tried and tested tunes to help you expand your repertoire and enhance engagement.
Need MORE Israel Songs For Kiddos? I got you...
Explore more Israel Songs For Kiddos:
Songleading Support, Beyond The Song
If you’re leading music with children and families, you already know the songs are only part of the work. The harder parts are effectivelt designing your experiences, setting up the environment, communicating expectations, and coordinating with colleagues- and that doesn’t even include making decisions in real time: what to do when a group is dysregulated, how to adjust for different ages in the same room, and how to keep a session moving when your original plan isn’t landing (or if you didn’t have time to make a plan).
Songleading for Kiddos Support Squad exists for that moment. It’s where educators come to think through the “why” behind the music: child development, session structure, energy flow, and what to try when something isn’t working.
This is about having a supportive space to reflect, question, and gather insights. Let us help you lighten your load and lift your leadership.
Come join us.
