As Jews around the world prepare to bring in the light of Chanukah, we are rocked by the terror attack against the Jewish community of Sydney. Seven years ago, the shloshim mourning period after the Tree of Life massacre fell during Chanukah. I then wrote “Ma’oz Tzur for Pittsburgh,” which I’ve now adapted for the Jews of Sydney. Ma’oz Tzur – literally “Fortress Rock” – is a Chanukah acrostic written in the 13^th century. This song is traditionally sung each night after lighting Chanukah candles.  In writing this, I studied five translations (see footnote).

Ma’oz Tzur for Sydney
מָעוֹז צוּר יְשׁוּעָתִי
Ma’oz Tzur Yeshu’ati
Rock of Ages,
Fortress of Redemption,
Rock of Salvation,
Refuge and Shelter,

לְךָ נָאֶה לְשַׁבֵּחַ
Lekha na’eh leshabe’ach
It is a delight,
Lovely and fine,
To sing Your praises.

תִּכּוֹן בֵּית תְּפִלָּתִי
Tikon beit tefilati
Restore my house and heart of prayer,
That has seen violence and hate,
Bloodshed and death.
It is firm and established,
Now and forever.

וְשָׁם תּוֹדָה נְזַבֵּחַ
Vesham toda nezabe’ah
There, and everywhere, we will offer thanksgiving,
In the name of our people,
An Or l’Simcha,
A light for joy,

לְעֵת תָּכִין מַטְבֵּחַ
Le’et takhin matbe’ach
When by Your will
All bloodshed ends,
The time when You eliminate
All slaughter.

מִצָּר הַמְנַבֵּחַ
Mi’tzor hamnabe’ach
The furious, they assail us,
Oppressors with hatred,
But Your arm avails us,

אָז אֶגְמוֹר בְּשִׁיר מִזְמוֹר
Az egmor beshir mizmor
So with joyous song,
Yet still in mourning,
With a heavy heart,
Singing in music,
Even on the day of terror,
In poetry and psalms,
A call out

חֲנֻכַּת הַמִּזְבֵּחַ
Chanukat hamizbe’ach
For the dedication of Your house,
Rededicating ourselves to Your service,
Rededicating ourselves to each other,
And to your sanctuary,
Every moment becoming an altar of Your praises,
Where our strength will not fail us.

[Sing Ma’oz Tzur]

© 2025 Alden Solovy

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Postscript: Ma’oz Tzur was written by an unknown poet whose name is spelled out as Mordechai by the first letters of the first five verses. The first three letters of the sixth and final stanza spell out ‘chazak,’ or ‘strength’ (Encyclopedia of Jewish Prayer, M. Nulman). I consulted these siddurim while writing: Mishkan T’fillah (U.S., Reform); Koren Aviv Siddur (Orthodox); Seder HaTeffilah (UK, Reform); Siddur Lev Chadash (UK, Liberal/Progressive); and Siddur Nehalel (Orthodox). The transliteration is modified from Wikipedia. Find the original “Ma’oz Tzur for Pittsburgh” here.

Please check out my ELItalk video, “Falling in Love with Prayer,” and This Grateful Heart: Psalms and Prayers for a New Day. For reprint permissions and usage guidelines and reprint permissions, see “Share the Prayer!” To receive my latest prayers via email, please subscribe (on the home page). You can also connect on Facebook and Twitter.

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