The best-known dreidel song in English is "I Have a Little Dreidel," written in New York in the 1920s by Samuel Goldfarb and Samuel Grossman. In Israel, kids sing "Sevivon, Sov, Sov, Sov." Both are simple, repetitive songs about spinning the top.
"I Have a Little Dreidel"
If you grew up in America, you probably know this one. It's the song about a little dreidel made out of clay that you'll play with once it's dry.
Who wrote it: Samuel E. Goldfarb wrote it together with Samuel S. Grossman in the 1920s. Goldfarb grew up on New York's Lower East Side in a family of 11 kids whose parents came from Galicia. He played piano in Yiddish theaters and later became musical director of the Bureau of Jewish Education in New York. His older brother, Israel Goldfarb, was a well-known cantor and rabbi and composed a popular melody for "Shalom Aleichem."
How it caught on: It wasn't an instant hit. The song spread the way folk songs do, from classroom to classroom and family to family, and became really popular in the 1950s. Today it's probably the most recognized Hanukkah song in America.
The clay question: Anyone who's tried a real clay dreidel knows it's heavy and doesn't spin especially well. The song doesn't care, and neither should you. If you want one anyway, our make a dreidel page has a clay option.
"Sevivon, Sov, Sov, Sov"
This is the Hebrew dreidel song kids learn in Israel and in Hebrew schools everywhere. Sevivon is the Hebrew word for dreidel and sov means "spin," so the title is basically "Dreidel, spin, spin, spin." The song is about the dreidel spinning and about Hanukkah being a great holiday. It's short and easy to pick up even if you don't speak Hebrew. Learn more about the word on our Hebrew name page.
A letter chant for little kids
Here's a simple chant we wrote to help kids remember what each letter does. Say it while the dreidel is spinning:
Nun, nun, nothing's done.
Gimel, gimel, gather it all.
Hey, hey, half today.
Shin, shin, chip one in.
Teachers, feel free to use it in class. More classroom ideas are on our teachers page.
Songs at a dreidel party
A few ideas that work well:
- Sing while it spins. One line per spin keeps little kids focused on the dreidel instead of the chocolate.
- Spin until the song ends. Everyone spins at once at the start of the song. Whoever's dreidel is still going when the song stops picks who goes first.
- Freeze dreidel. Play music, stop it, and whoever's holding the dreidel spins.
Updated October 2026