As the season turns and the tradition of lighting the menorah approaches, the Recorded Sound Archives (RSA) at FAU Libraries is ready to celebrate! We are delighted to share our annual musical gift: The RSA Chanukah Playlist 2025! This curated selection of eight tracks offers a vibrant, diverse soundtrack for your eight nights of celebration, drawn directly from the RSA’s extensive collection of Jewish sound recordings.
This playlist captures the light and global spirit of the Festival of Lights by highlighting a variety of essential musical styles. For a traditional start to your nightly ritual, we feature the contemplative beauty of Ariel Silber’s stirring rendition of the blessing over the candles. This track sets a powerful and reflective tone, honoring the miracle of the oil.

The collection also celebrates the rich cultural diversity of Jewish tradition. You’ll find the beautiful Sephardic favorite “Ocho Kandelikas” (Eight Little Candles) performed by the Lachan Toronto Jewish Chamber Choir, sung entirely in Ladino. For a completely different, nostalgic folk sound, we included Lori Cahan-Simon’s delightful Yiddish track, “A Tsindt on Likhtekh” (Light the Candles).
To round out the soundscape, the playlist offers unique contemporary arrangements. Don’t miss Benjamin Roth-Aroni’s “Chanukah Piano Medley,” which provides a smooth, instrumental backdrop perfect for a quiet evening or sophisticated holiday gathering. Read More About This…

As we prepare for the High Holy Days, we reflect on tradition and prayer and the voices that have carried these sacred melodies through time. Among them stands one of the greatest cantorial legends of all time — Cantor Gershon-Yitskhok Leibovich Sirota (1874–1943).

Often called the “Jewish Caruso,” Sirota’s rich tenor voice helped define the Golden Age of Khazzanut (cantorial music). He began his career in Odessa, later serving eight years as cantor of the Shtatshul (State Synagogue) in Vilna, where he began a lifelong collaboration with choirmaster Leo Lowe. In 1907, he became the cantor of the prestigious Tłomackie Street Synagogue in Warsaw, a role that solidified his reputation as one of Europe’s greatest liturgical artists. Read More About This…

When it comes to blending the spirit of Chanukah with the soulful sounds of jazz, Kenny Ellis shines brightly. His album, Hanukkah Swings, is a festive treat that reinvents traditional Chanukah melodies with a toe-tapping, swing-inspired twist.

Ellis, a talented cantor and performer, brings a joyful exuberance to the album, making it a perfect soundtrack for the Festival of Lights. Tracks like “Swingin’ Dreidel” and “Chanukah Swings” showcase his ability to infuse Jewish holiday classics with the lively, improvisational spirit of jazz. The result is a collection that feels both timeless and refreshingly original. Read More About This…

This High Holy days we wanted to highlight the voice of Cantor Moshe Schwimmer.

Moshe Schwimmer was born with the gift of a beautiful singing voice. As a child his singing delighted all who heard him. But, being a serious and studious young man, he desired to develop his talents through study and hard work. And so, at the age of 18, he set out to study music and liturgy at the Brunn Music Conservatory in Czechoslovakia (now Austria). Read More About This…

Did you know it’s National Hot Dog month? We had almost forgotten until a co-worker brought it up in conversation last week.

Here at the Recorded Sound Archives we’ve got a few songs about Hot Dogs that you can listen to from home that we wanted to share! Read More About This…