THE FOLLOWING IS AN EXCERPT FROM:

OCCUPATIONS/HOBBIES/GENERAL PURPOSE: Rock And Roll (Part 2), Boogie Woogie Bugle Boy, The Guitar Man, Piano Man, Yakety Sax, 76 Trombones, I Hear A Symphony, I Love Music, Mr. Tambourine Man, Play That Funky Music, Sea Cruise, Sailing, Sea Of Love, “Gilligan’s Island”, Working In A Coal Mine, If I Had A Hammer, Take This Job And Shove It, Get A Job, Taking Care Of Business, For The Love Of Money, Money That’s What I Want, Fugue For Tinhorns (I Got The Horse Right Here), The Gambler, I Fought The Law, Be True To Your School, My Old School, School Days, The Chanukah Song, In The Navy, Soldier Boy, Back In The Saddle Again, The Candy Man, Truckin’, Car Wash, Dancing In The Moonlight, Dancing In The Street, Dancing Machine, Footloose, Goldfinger, Diamonds Are A Girl’s Best Friend, Disco Lady, Eight Miles High, Handy Man, King Of The Road, Jet Airliner, Fly Me To The Moon, Hot Road Lincoln, Little Red Corvette, Joyride, How Much Is That Doggie In The Window?, Make Me Smile, Smooth Operator, Ramblin’ Man, Rhinestone Cowboy, Run Run Run, Saturday Night’s All Right For Fighting, Shop Around, Sloop John B, Soul Man, Surfer Girl, Sweet Hitch-hiker, The Hunter Gets Captured By The Game, “S.W.A.T.” TV Theme, Travelin’ Man, Taxman, I Can’t Smile Without You, I’m Walkin’, Barefootin’, Can’t You Hear My Heartbeat, Hope You’re Feeling Better, I Can’t Get It Out Of My Head, Psychotic Reaction, Bad Medicine, I Can See Clearly Now, Doctor My Eyes, Doctor Doctor (Bad Case Of Loving You), Ain’t No Mountain High Enough, Everything I Do I Do For You, I Had The Time Of My Life, Partytime, Walking On Sunshine, Can’t Smile Without You, Birthday, Celebration, Pretty Fly For A Rabbi.

OUT-OF-TOWNERS: Sweet Home Alabama, They’re Coming To America, Arizona, Oh Atlanta, “Cheers” TV Theme (Boston), Brazil, Funky Broadway, The Lullaby of Broadway, On Broadway, Country Boy-You Got Your Feet In L.A., California Dreaming, California Girls, It Never Rains In Southern California, Old Cape Cod, Caribbean Queen, Carolina On My Mind, Chattanooga Choo Choo, My Kind Of Town Chicago Is, China Grove (Texas), El Paso, Galveston, Midnight Train To Georgia, Rainy Night In Georgia, Georgia On My Mind, Hawaii Five-0, Aloha Oe-Hula, Indiana Wants Me, Israelites, Jamaica Farewell, Jersey Bounce, Kalamazoo, Kansas City, Kentucky Woman, Key Largo, Kokomo, Margaritaville, Memphis Tennessee, Memphis Soul Stew, Mexico, Mexican Hat Dance, “Miami Vice” TV Theme, Mississippi Queen, Montego Bay, Weekend In New England, Walking To New Orleans, New York New York, Boy From New York City, Omaha, An American In Paris, April In Paris, Pennsylvania 6-5000, Streets Of Philadelphia, Philadelphia Freedom, By The Time I Get To Phoenix, I Left My Heart In San Francisco, St. Louis Blues, Tennessee Waltz, 24 Hours From Tulsa, Back In The USA, Wichita Lineman, On The Road Again, From A Distance, Drive My Car, Jet Airliner, Beach Baby, Hillbilly Rock, Homeward Bound, Take Me Home Country Roads, Mountain Music, So Far Away.

NAMES: Uncle Albert/Admiral Halsey, Alexander’s Rag Time Band, Amie, Polk Salad Annie, Aubrey, Barbara Ann, Bennie & The Jets, Don’t Mess With Bill, Billie Jean, Brandy, Carol, Sweet Caroline, Charlie Brown, Claire, Danny Boy, Daniel, Dawn, Delilah, Denise, Donna, Duke Of Earl, Eddie My Love, Come On Eileen, Eleanor, Elvira, Fernando, Gloria, Hooray For Hazel, I’m Henry VIII I Am, Goodnight Irene, Jackie Blue, Sweet Baby James, Jamie, Daisy Jane, Jennifer, Jenny, Jeremy, Jessie’s Girl, You Don’t Mess Around With Jim, Jim Dandy, Jimmy Mack, Cotton Eyed Joe, Farmer John, Johnny Angel, Johnny Be Good, My Girl Josephine, Judy In Disguise, Julie Do You Love Me, Junior’s Farm, Lullaby For Kim, Hats Off To Larry, Tell Laura I Love Her, Bad Bad Leroy Brown, Come Back Liza, Whatever Lola Wants, Louie Louie, Lucille, Mack The Knife, Lady Madonna, Maggie May, Mandy, My Maria, Take A Letter Maria, C’Mon Marianne, Marie’s The Name Of His Latest Flame, Marlena, Proud Mary, What Will My Mary Say, Cara Mia, Michael Row The Boat Ashore, Mickey, Mickey Mouse Club, Good Golly Miss Molly, Nadine Is It You, Nancy, Nathan Jones, Hey Paula, Peggy Sue, Peter Gunn, Reuben James, Help Me Rhonda, Fly Robin Fly, Rockin’ Robin, Ronnie, Rosanna, Cracklin’ Rosie, Love Grows Where My Rosemary Goes, Ruben James, Ruby Tuesday, Lay Down Sally, Mustang Sally, Greetings: This Is Uncle Sam, Sara, Sara Smile, My Sharona, Sheila, Sherry, Run-around Sue, Wake Up Little Susie, Susie Q, Sylvia’s Mother, Tammy, Let Me Be Your Teddy Bear, Timothy, Tom Dooley, Tom’s Diner, Tracy, Willie & The Hand Jive.

IN MEMORY: (If your child is lighting this candle, music may be unnecessary since it will only take several moments.) My Heart Will Go On, Everything I Own, Memories (“Cats” Soundtrack), Wishing You Were Here, The Way We Were, Unforgettable, One Sweet Day, I’ll Always Love You, Photographs & Memories, I Will Remember You, Thanks For The Memory.          

GRANDPARENTS:  Sunrise Sunset, Tradition, To Life, Through The Years, I Just Called To Say I Love You, Times Of Your Life, One In A Million, Wind Beneath My Wings, As Time Goes By, Forever Young, In The Mood, Make Someone Happy, Simon Tov & Mazel Tov.   

AUNTS/UNCLES/COUSINS:  We Are Family, Love Will Keep Us Together, Everybody Have Fun Tonight, Fun Fun Fun, I’m So Excited, Some Kind Of Wonderful, Family Of Man, Family Tradition, I Love You-You Love Me (“Barney” Theme), Respect, Happy Together

NEIGHBORS:  It’s A Beautiful Day In The Neighborhood (“Mr. Rogers” TV Theme), Big Man In Town, Sesame Street, Down On The Corner, I’ve Got Friends In Low Places, Just The Two Of Us, I’m Living Right Next Door To An Angel.

FRIENDS:  That’s What Friends Are For, You’ve Got A Friend, You’ve Got To Have Friends, We Go Together (“Grease” Soundtrack), I’ll Be There For You (“Friends” TV Theme), My Boyfriend’s Back, My Girl, My Guy, All My Rowdy Friends, Friends In Low Places, Little Help From My Friends, Girls Just Wanna Have Fun, Smells Like Teen Spirit, What I Like About You, Lean On Me, We Are The Champions.

SIBLINGS:  Anything You Can Do I Can Do Better, Born To Be Wild, Bad To The Bone, If I Only Had A Brain, You’re Not The Boss Of Me (“Malcolm In The Middle” Theme)  BROTHER: Wild Thing, He Ain’t Heavy-He’s My Brother, Brother Love’s Traveling Salvation Show, Macho Man, Centerfield, Take Me Out To The Ballgame, Fortunate Son, He’s A Rebel, When I Grow Up To Be A Man, Bad Boys, I’m Too Sexy, Let’s Hear It For The Boy, To All The Girls I’ve Loved Before, “Rocky” Theme.   SISTER:  Thank Heaven For Little Girls, Honey Bun, I Enjoy Being A Girl, Pretty Woman, Do Wah Diddy Diddy, Daddy’s Little Girl, I Saw Her Standing There, I’m Every Woman, She Drives Me Crazy, Lady, A Girl Like You, Forever In Blue Jeans, Mother’s Little Helper, Sister Golden Hair, She Loves You, It’s My Party, Little Sister, Hot Stuff, Bad Girls, All I Wanna Do, Brown Eyed Girl, Uptown Girl, Girl You Know It’s True, Forever Your Girl, Super Model, The Most Beautiful Girl.

PARENTS:  Teach Your Children, You Are The Sunshine Of My Life, You’re The Inspiration, I Will Always Love You, Adult Education, Father Figure, Mama Said, Motorcycle Mama, Son Of My Father, Sonny Boy, Greatest Love Of All, You Are So Beautiful, Have I Told You Lately That I Love You, Because You Loved Me, Bushel And A Peck, Everlasting Love, When I’m 64.

A CANDLELIGHTING CEREMONY is not mandated in the Torah. But, if you choose to have one for those great photos, do it right!

A DJ will often use “Bobby Morganstein’s Candlelighting Medley” for up-tempo background music.  Even better, ask if he’ll customize the music (using the suggested titles above or any songs which are appropriate for your guest).  Have your child say a few words (which you should help write) pertaining to each individual or group that’s honored.  It can be humorous or heartfelt.  Rhyme or prose.  But certainly try for something more spirited and thoughtful than, “Bubbie and Zaide, come up and light Candle 1” down to “Mom and Dad, come up and light Candle 13.”  Or, give them advance notice and have the Candlelighters themselves say something wonderful about your child!  They’d LOVE to!

And don’t forget the obvious: candles!  You’ll need 14 tapers (one is the child’s “shamash”).  Don’t use short, thick Sabbath candles which will look awful.  But be sure the tapers are under 12” (More than once I’ve seen kids standing behind the cake and hidden by tall tapers.  When the photos came out, it looked like they were in a jail cell!)

And why a “Candlelighting” anyway?  Rebel!  Just after our youngest’s Bat Mitzvah we moved into a new home.  We purchased a small magnolia tree, made paper leaves and had a “Leaf Tying Ceremony.”  Then, when we moved, we planted the tree outside her window!  Be creative.  You don’t have to move.  You have to think. 

Here's a totally different take on the typical Candlelighting:
Purchase 8-inch non-drip tapers, enough so each guest (aside from the very young) has one. Have everyone form a circle on the dancefloor. Your child's candle is then lit. With you to his right and your spouse to his left, have him light both of your candles. Then you light the candle to the person next to you as your spouse does the same. This continues until the lit circle is complete. At that moment, have everyone make a beautiful wish for your child on this fabulous day. Then, your guests simultaneously blow out their individual candles and they're perfectly positioned for the Hora!

If you have a standard Candlelighting, your guests will have been seated throughout the meal and the games segment.  Time to work off those calories!  Playing a Hora now, every seat at every table should be empty.  Even non-Jewish guests can be “taught” this easy circle dance and get into the spirit of the occasion.  Be sure your child is hoisted in a chair from the center of the circle.  Ideally, siblings and YOU get coerced into a ride, too.  (Admit it, you can’t wait!  Besides, those pictures will look great in your album.)  Let the DJ get an inner/outer circle going or even have you lead a Hora Bridge. (Click HERE and request Hora Bridge details and I'll be happy to let you in on one of my "Intangibles.")