The Hebrew word for dreidel is
sevivon (סְבִיבוֹן). It comes from the Hebrew root s-b-b, which means “to turn” or “to rotate”. 

The letters on a dreidel have meaning: 

    • Nun: Means “nisht” or “nothing” 
    • Gimel: Means “gantz” or “everything” 
    • Hay: Along with the other letters, the numerical value of the dreidel’s letters is 358 
  • Shin: In Israel, the fourth letter is a peh to represent the phrase Nes gadol hay po, which means “A great miracle occurred here” 
The dreidel’s letters are said to represent the lowest and highest points of Jewish history. The letters remind us that we have the power to shape Jewish history and that God will never abandon the Jewish people. 

The dreidel’s origins can be traced back to a game called totum or teetotum that was played in England and Ireland in the 16th century.
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