My Daughters’ Losing/Winning Song

My Daughters’ Losing/Winning Song

At my daughters’ school, maybe THE most important event of the year is the school’s annual song contest, the Shirnof. So this year, like every year, my daughters were preparing for Shirnof for weeks. Hadas, my 12-year-old was working on the words for their team’s song with her friend Uriya and choreographing their team’s dance. My 10-year-old Hallel was practicing her recorder solos and creating the team’s costumes. And my 8-year-old Maayan was working hard to create special prizes to keep team spirit high.

Last year, my girls’ team came in 3rd place. And since this is Hadas’ last year to participate in the contest, while she didn’t say it, I know that she had her eyes on the prize yet again.

So when my daughters came home from school on Friday afternoon with faces pink and swollen from crying, my heart fell into my stomach. Hadas explained to me, through her sobs, that the school’s sound system had collapsed mid-way through their song. My girls’ group was the last group to perform, so there was no time left to fix the technical issue. By default, they were disqualified from the competition.

I felt as devastated as my girls. Though, I guess like a mother lion protecting her cubs, I felt equal parts devastation and fury.

But then, after marinating around in that yuckiness for a while, I got an idea.

I loved my daughters’ song. I thought it was excellent. And Iโ€ฆhave a website!

I gathered my daughters together and told them that it really didn’t matter that they had lost Shirnof this year, because I had selected their song as this year’s JewishMOM.com Shirnof gold medalist!

My kids aren’t so internet savvy, which means that they don’t really have ANY idea what their Eema is doing on the computer all morning. But when I explained that winning the JewishMOM.com gold medal means that Jewish moms around the world would hear their song, that made them VERY, VERY happy.

Enjoy this video of their song, and don’t forget to leave nice comments (please mention where you are from) for my daughters below. I know your comments will give them and their team special nachas.

This winning/losing song is about how much we Jews love the Hebrew languageโ€ฆ

37 comments

  1. Yael Simchi

    Wow! This song was truly great! Girls, never give up on your dream to win, but remember that having fun along the way is even more important than the outcome of the contest… (from one who learned the hard way ๐Ÿ™‚

    Best,
    Yael
    from a Moshav near Jerusalem

    • Chaya Gavriella

      I woke up so sad this morning. I sat down and watched your video and suddenly my sadness is gone! Thankyou for your wonderful song and the video. I think you won the competition in my home today, I am now so happy.

      Shalom,

      Gavriella

  2. I’m really impressed with your creativity and how you worked together to use everyone’s special talents. Would love to see the costumes and dance!

    Best wishes from London

  3. Thank you! This was so nice to hear (even though I didn’t understand it). I love the beat, the music… I’m sure the school would’ve been amazed by it if they were able to hear the whole thing. Your mother should be proud of such talent!
    Sara
    Seattle, Washington

  4. This song was performed with such energy and enthusiasm! Your love of Ivrit could be heard in the way you sang as a single voice, with fancy rhythms and melody. I really loved the sound of the recorder flying above the singing, pure and strong!!! Congratulations on working together as a team to bring such beauty to so many of us around the world!

    Shula
    New York

  5. So nice! Thanks for sharing!

    -from Jerusalem

  6. What a great song!!!! Good job!

    -from Frankfurt

  7. Phyllis Meer

    Dear Hadas, Hallel, and Maayan,
    This morning your beautiful song played in my home in snowy Oak Park, Michigan. The beat, recorder and sweet voices brightened my day! I can tell you put a lot of effort into your song. Your team is very creative! Thank you for sharing it with us.
    Mrs. Meer

  8. As a mother a can share both the heartache of your children’s disappointment and the pride of their talent.
    Thank you for sharing.

    Deep in the Heart of Texas! (Houston)

  9. Grannie Annie from the Shomron

    To the true winners !! Kol Hakavod. Continue to express your creativity in all and every way possible; and enjoy yourselves.

  10. Beautiful singing and terrific recorder playing! Love from California ๐Ÿ™‚

    Rachel

  11. Mirele Rosenberger

    Girls, you did a great job. Your work should be an inspiration to young girls all over the globe to create and express their thoughts and beliefs through song. This brings good energy to the whole world. Keep up the good work!

  12. Such a creative idea, performed with such spirit and unity. You girls really did a great job! Keep on writing lyrics, playing music, and loving Ivrit!

    from Kochav Hashahar

  13. We love it! My daughter Shayna is dancing to the music. We are in Atlanta, GA.

  14. Great job! I especially like the team effort! You all are true winners!
    from Yerushalayim

  15. thank you so much for this song, your daughters really deserve a prize! it reminds me of my grandmother’s experience as a Halutza in Palestine (c.1921). she told me stories of trying to learn to speak Hebrew, how she learned by reading the newspaper with a dictionary at her side. and how difficult it was to only speak Hebrew with her children. this meant that my mother could not communicate with her grandmother, who only spoke yiddish and polish….
    it literally makes me cry to hear the language of our forefathers spoken in our Land. May we all merit the Complete Redemption and ingathering of Our People NOW!!

  16. I liked the song very much and called my children to come and listen too (they’re exactly your ages).
    ื”ื‘ืช ืฉืœื™ ืื”ื‘ื” (ื‘ืช 10) ืืช ื”ื‘ื™ืฆื•ืข ื‘ืจืงืข, ื‘ืžื™ื•ื—ื“ ืืช ื”ื—ืœื™ืœื™ืช.
    ื™ื™ืฉืจ ื›ื— ื’ื“ื•ืœ ืขืœ ื”ื”ืฉืงืขื”, ื”ืฉื™ืชื•ืฃ ืคืขื•ืœื” ื•ื”ื‘ื™ืฆื•ืข.
    Elonei-Shilo in Karnei shomron
    ืืœื•ื ื™ ืฉื™ืœื” ืฉื‘ืงืจื ื™ ืฉื•ืžืจื•ืŸ
    ืœืคื ื™ ืฉื ืชื™ื™ื ื—ื’ื’ื ื• ืขืฉื•ืจ ื•ื”ื™ืœื“ื™ื ืฉืจื• ืฉื™ืจ ืœืื•ืชื” ืžื ื’ื™ื ื”.
    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MPwWLJmhkd8
    ืฆื™ืจืคืชื™ ืงื™ืฉื•ืจ- ืื ื‘ื ืœื›ื ืœืฉืžื•ืข.

  17. What a great idea for a song, and the lyrics convey its beauty. What a silly reason for “disqualification” – certainly this song qualifies as greatness.

    May the Alef Bet Palace of the Hebrew Princess continue to inspire the Jewish princesses who created this song.

    B’vracha,
    Chaya

  18. Job well done! Being a dancer and singer I think you did a great job! I just wish I could have seen the performance in person. Keep performing and spreading your light!

    Thanks for sharing.

    Chicago, IL

  19. Gittel Goetz

    Great job, girls! I love the Israeli accents! You have an amazing, special mom who is so proud of you!!

    Gittel
    from Phoenix, AZ

  20. Beautiful song! Your music created smiles a world away in Berkeley, California!

  21. You girls are Hebrew rock stars! Mazal tov on your prize!
    Rebecca, Ramat Gan

  22. Yoni Schlussel

    Beautiful song! I am so impressed! I look forward to hearing more songs from this wonderful group in the future!
    Yoni Schlussel
    Milwaukee, WI

  23. ืื™ื–ื” ื ื™ืกื™ื•ืŸ ืขื‘ืจืชืŸ ื•ืื™ื–ื” ืจื•ื•ื— ื‘ืฉื‘ื™ืœื™ื ื•! ื”ื™ื” ื›ื™ื™ืฃ ืœืฉืžื•ืข ืืช ื”ืขื•ืฆืžืชื™ื•ืช ืฉืœ ื”ื ื’ื™ื ื” ื•ืฉื™ืจื” ื‘ื–ืžืŸ ืฉืื ื™ ื™ื•ืฉื‘ืช ืคื” ื‘ืจืžืช ื‘ื™ืช ืฉืžืฉ ื•ืžืฉืชืขืžืžืช ื‘ืขื‘ื•ื“ื”. ื™ืฉืจ ื›ื•ื—ื›ืŸ. ื”ืจื‘ื” ื ื—ืช ืœืืžื…

  24. Dear Girls,
    A wonderful job on the lyrics and music. They are so sincere and touching. I think the world of moms is really lucky to get a chance to hear you all preform. From our perspective Gam zu L’tova.
    Shabat Shalom
    From Talmon, Israel
    a small yishuv past kirat Sefer.

  25. Wonderful! I so enjoyed this!
    Sari in Pittsburgh, PA

  26. Hadassah Aber

    From North Miami Beach Florida -USA Wow! Too bad I couldn’t see the dance or costumes that went with the lovely song. Your drummer kept such a wonderful rhythm and I truly love the chalil. Did you write this song yourselves? keep it up!

  27. (see previous posts) Michelle and I got in touch and now a new Seattle-nik will feel more welcomed when she moves in – thanks to you guys!!

  28. Here’s a response from my daughters to all of your letters:
    Shalom!

    Your letters really encouraged us, and moved us very much. We were so happy to see how much you liked our song. Your letters really helped us get over our disappointment. It was especially exciting to hear from people from all over the word. We really appreciate that you took the time to listen to our song, and to write to us.

    Thanks again, Hadas, Hallel, and Maayan Weisberg

  29. sorry I’m sending this in so late but I only got a chance now to listen to this very lovely song sung by some very creative young ladies! like your mom, you have already spread a smile on many faces, all over the world! rochel from ramat beit shemesh.

  30. Kol hakavod girls! I just listened to your song (sorry I missed it last week…) and loved it! It is a beautiful, meaningful song and you should all be proud of yourselves! May you continue bringing pride and joy to your parents and to all of am Yisrael!
    I plan to play your song for my 3 girls tomorrow!
    Yshar Koach!!!!
    Deenah from Beit Shemesh

  31. Great job, girls. I love the drumming.

  32. Dear little Sisters,

    Keep writing those beautiful songs! They are winners for sure. And dear Jewish Mom, what a wonderful mother you are, sharing your daughters’ gifts with us and supporting their work. Such kindness will bear much sweet fruit in the years to come.

    Ann
    a Canadian songwriter and grandmother

  33. I come a bit late since this post is from last year.
    I really did enjoy the song even if i don’t understand hebrew. The music is really great !
    So, great job girls and keep up on being so creative !

    Have a nice week, shavua tov :

    Esther from Paris (France)

  34. Beautiful song and great work girls. Life is always abou overcoming challenges to fesh higher places. All of our inscriptions should be sent for good this upcoming year B’Simcha and we should continue to have the koach to overcome challenges and rise higher for ourselves. You girl must bring much nachas to H-m and your parents.

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