Tonight is the last night of Hanukkah, the eight-day Jewish Festival of Lights commemorating the rededication of the Temple in Jerusalem in 165 BC. Despite Adam Sandler’s contribution, the body of Hanukah music pales in comparison to the panoply of Christmas tunes and carols sung each year. But among the musicians who have composed lyrics for Hanukah is one big surprise: Woody Guthrie.

Guthrie’s daughter, Nora, recently discovered dozens of Jewish-themed lyrics that the dust-bowl balladeer had penned but never set to music. She asked the Klezmatics, a New York City Klezmer band, to compose melodies for the lyrics. The result is the Klezmatics’ new CD, “Woody Guthrie’s Happy Joyous Hanukah.”

In this radio diary, the Klezmatics lead vocalist, Lorin Sklamberg, brings us some of Woody Guthrie’s Hanukah compositions, and describes how the famed folk singer came to create songs about Hanukah and Judaism.

(AP Photo of Arlo Guthrie performing his fathers songs with the Klezmatics in Albany, NY)

Guests:

Lorin Sklamberg is the lead vocalist for The Klezmatics. Their new CD is titled “Woody Guthrie’s Happy Joyous Hanukah.”