Adam Sandler is still celebrating 30 years of his 'Chanukah Song,' and my family is too
In anticipation of "Saturday Night Live's" festive episode, Adam Sandler's performance from three decades ago still resonates with the "funukah."
Conceived by "SNL" scribes Ian Maxtone-Graham and Lew Morton, Sandler first unveiled "The Chanukah Song" during a Weekend Update on December 3, 1994, questioning the scarcity of tunes celebrating the Jewish festival of light. Over time, this whimsical melody has become a staple of the holiday repertoire. It has been refreshed with four distinct versions, each bringing new lyrics and cultural nods, yet the essence remains timeless.
When Sandler's animated feature "Eight Crazy Nights" premiered in 2002, "The Chanukah Song" Part 3 accompanied it. This rendition included a children's choir, christened "The Drei-Dreis" by Sandler—a nod to the Chanukah toy, the dreidel. Among these young vocalists were my cousins, who auditioned and joined "The Drei-Dreis."
"We performed live with Adam during a concert debut. Rob Schneider joined us! We later recorded for the ‘Eight Crazy Nights’ album in a Hollywood studio," reminisced my cousin Jono Wagmeister, now 34, about auditioning alongside his siblings David, 37, and Michael, 29. Back then, they were 11, 14, and 7, respectively.
My cousins shared that Sandler’s team scouted Jewish synagogues in Los Angeles for children in choir groups. Singing with the youth ensemble at University Synagogue, my cousins found the experience a dream come true.
“It was a blast singing with Adam and fellow Jewish vocalists from LA,” David enthused. “Meeting Adam backstage, he was genuinely kind and approachable. Knowing he wanted Hebrew school kids as backup singers made me even prouder of my heritage. It was an all-around incredible experience!”
Though my cousin Michael was technically too young to audition, Sandler’s team welcomed him nonetheless. “I envied my brothers' involvement and wanted a part. So, I tagged along after little league practice, clad in a Yankees jersey and cleats. Adam’s team thought I was cute and asked if I could sing,” Michael recollected. “I became the youngest member with one condition—I had to wear that outfit at the performance. Adam even joked about my cleats during the concert!”
These "Chanukah Song" memories have endured not only within the Wagmeister lineage but also for Sandler and fans worldwide. “If it plays on the radio, I still get a thrill,” Sandler shared with the New York Post last year.
In homage to three decades of Sandler's "eight crazy nights," here’s a nostalgic glance at the lyrics of the buoyant "Chanukah Song.
