Latke ditty: full text and attribution

Get your Chanukah (Hannukah) celebration going!
by L'Chaim Celebrations

Over a dozen years ago,  I posted some verses of latke ditties I heard sung way back in my seminary year. on my blog and asked if someone had the full text.  I got a response from the grandson of the songwriter: The Bicycling Barrister:   

         

"Ben Aronin (my grandfather) wrote these and other wonderful latke ditties many decades ago (and the Pesach "classic" ballad of the four sons / clementine)"                                                               

Mrs. Maccabeus by Ben Aronin, z"l, of Congregation Anshe Emet in Chicago

(sung to the tune of "O Chanukah")

Each Chanukah we glorify brave Judah Maccabeus

Who had the courage to defy Antiochus, and free us,

Yet it is not fair that we should forget

Mrs. Maccabeus, whom we owe a debt.

She mixed it, and fixed it

She poured it into a bowl

You may not guess, but it was the latkes

That gave brave Judah a soul.

You may not guess but it was the latkes

That gave brave Judah a soul.

 

The Syrians said: "It cannot be that old Mattathias

Whose years are more than 83 will dare to defy us!"

But they didn't know his secret, you see

Mattathias dined on latkes and tea.

One latke, two latkes

And so on into the night

You may not guess but it was the latkes

that gave him the courage to fight.

You may not guess but it was the latkes

that gave him the courage to fight.

Now this is how it came about this gastronomic wonder

That broke the ranks of Syria like flaming bolts of thunder

Mrs. Maccabeus wrote in the dough

Portions of the Torah then fried them so.

They shimmered, they simmered,

Absorbing the olive oil

You may not guess but it was the latkes

that made the Syrians recoil.

You may not guess but it was the latkes

that made the Syrians recoil.

Now these little latkes brown and delicious

must have hit the spot 'cause with appetites vicious

All the heroes downed them after their toil

Causing in our Temple a shortage of oil

One latke, two latkes,

And so on into the night.

You may not guess but it was the latkes

that gave us the Chanukah light.

You may not guess but it was the latkes

that gave us the Chanukah light.

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