Hanukkah at Home - Jewish Learning Works

Hanukkah at Home
A How To Guide by Jewish LearningWorks
Hanukkah at Home is a guide for families, designed to
enhance your holiday celebrations at home. In it you’ll
find a brief rundown of the story of Hanukkah, a guide
to observing the different Hanukkah rituals, suggestions
for family friendly activities, recipes, useful resources,
and more. We hope this guide will help you bring a bit
of the light of Hanukkah into your homes and wish you
a holiday of light, sweetness, and lots and lots of fun!
Happy Hanukkah!
Hanukkah at Home
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The Hanukkah Story
In 168 BCE, the ruler of the Syrian kingdom, Antiochus
Epiphanes IV, marched into Jerusalem, vandalized the
Temple, erected an idol on the altar, and desecrated
its holiness with the blood of swine. Decreeing
that studying Torah, observing the Sabbath, and
circumcising Jewish boys were punishable by death,
he sent Syrian overseers and soldiers to villages
throughout Judea to enforce the edicts and force Jews
to engage in idol worship.
When the Syrian soldiers reached Modi’in (about 12
miles northwest of the capital), they demanded that
the local leader, Mattathias the Kohein (a member
of the priestly class), be an example to his people
by sacrificing a pig on a portable pagan altar. The
elder refused and killed not only the Jew who stepped
forward to do the Syrian’s bidding, but also the king’s
representative.
Following that, Mattathias and his five sons fled to the
hills and caves of the wooded Judean wilderness. They
would become the Macabees and wage a guerilla war
against the well-trained, well-equipped, Syrian army.
In three years, the Maccabees drove the Greeks out of
Israel and reclaimed their land and the temple mount.
The Maccabees then held a re-dedication (hanukkah)
of the Temple with proper sacrifice, rekindling of the
golden Temple candelabrum, the Menorah, and eight
days of celebration. According to the Talmud, it was at
this time that a single, undefiled flask of olive oil was
found for lighting the Menorah. Miraculously, the oil,
sufficient for only one day, burned for eight.
Hanukkah at Home
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The Hanukkah Story for kids
A long time ago, over 2000 years, people called Jews
who were from a country called Judea fought against
the people of a country called Syria. The Jews were
angry because Antiochus, a Greek who ruled Syria,
said that all the Jewish people had to worship Greek
gods instead of the one God they worshipped. The Jews
refused to this. So, to punish the Jews, Syrian soldiers
wrecked the Jews’ Temple, a special place to worship
God in Jerusalem. The soldiers also stole the sacred
lamp, called the Menorah, and the lamp’s flame went
out. This had never happened before. They poured
the special oil used to keep the flame alive all over
the floor. After three years of fighting, the Jews beat
the Syrians. To celebrate their victory, the Jews took
back their temple. They lit an oil lamp, but they could
only find enough oil to keep it burning for one night.
They needed more oil so that the lamp could keep
burning. But a miracle happened. The oil lamp stayed
lit for eight days, which was the time it took to make
new oil for the lamp. This was the Miracle of the Oil.
Since then, Jews remember that time with an eight-day
celebration called the Festival of Light by placing
eight candles in a Menorah (a special candlestick)
and lighting one candle for each
evening of the celebration.
http://twigglemagazine.com/December-activities/Hanukkah-kids-activity.html
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Hanukkah Rituals
& Traditions!
LIGHTING A HANUKKAH
MENORAH OR HANUKKIAH
The primary Jewish ritual observance of Hanukkah is the lighting
of the Hanukkah Menorah or the Hanukkiah, an eight armed
candlestick which is lit each of the eight nights of Hanukkah.
An extra, ninth candle called the Shamash is lit first and used to
light the other candles. Each consecutive night a new candle is
added to the Hanukkiah and lit. The candles are attached from
right to left, yet they are lit from left to right.
Check out “How to Light the Hanukkah Menorah”
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vDKRxbBt5Lc, an animated video
demonstrating how to light the Hanukkiah on the 8 days of
Hanukkah.
BLESSING OVER CANDLES
Barukh atah Adonai eloheinu melekh ha-olam asher
kidshanu b’mitzvotav v’tzivanu l’hadlik ner shel
Hanukkah. (Amein)
We praise You, Adonai, our God, Ruler of the
Universe, Who makes us holy by Your mitzvot and
commands us to light the Hanukkah candles. (Amen)
BLESSING FOR HANUKKAH
Barukh atah Adonai eloheinu melekh ha-olam,
sheh’asah nissim la’avoteinu ba-yamim ha-heim baz’man ha-zeh.
We praise You, Adonai, our God, Ruler of the
Universe, for the miracles which You performed for
our ancestors in those days at this season. (Amen)
SHEHECHEYANU (FIRST NIGHT ONLY)
Barukh atah Adonai eloheinu melekh ha-olam
sheheheyanu v’ki-y’manu v’higiyanu la-z’man ha-zeh.
(Amein)
We praise You, Adonai our God, Ruler of the Universe,
Who has kept us alive and well so that we can
celebrate this special time. (Amen)
Here’s a link to the blessing and some Hanukkah songs after lighting the candles.
http://www.chabad.org/multimedia/media_cdo/aid/1376593/jewish/Chanukahs-Greatest-Hits-All-Tracks.htm
After lighting the candles, it is customary to place the Menorah near a window facing the
street for others to see it. Hanukkah is a holiday which celebrates religious pride and freedom.
Let’s let our lights shine.
Hanukkah at Home
JewishLearningWorks
E AT I N G O I LY F O O D S
P L AY I N G D R E I D L
Eating foods cooked with or in a lot of oil
is another Hanukkah tradition. Latkes
(potato pancakes) & Sufganiyot (donuts)
are the standards but don’t let that hold
you back. Because of the connection to
oil in the Hanukkah story, anything oily or
fried counts as a perfect Hanukkah food.
Below are a couple recipes to get you
started:
When the Jews were under
Roman rule, practicing
Judaism was a crime.
Because of that, Jewish
education was often
disguised in games.
One such game is the
Dreidl. The Dreidl is a four
sided top with a particular
Hebrew letter on each side.
The letters, nun, gimel, heh, shin, are the first
letters of each of the words in the phrase,
“Nes Gadol Hayah Sham”, a great miracle
happened there, referring to the miracle of
the oil.
CLASSIC POTATO
LATKES
Makes 10-12 latkes
Ingredients:
2 cups peeled and
shredded potatoes
1 tablespoon grated onion
3 eggs, beaten
2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
RULES: All players get an equal number of
game pieces (about 10-15) such as pennies,
nuts, chocolate coins, etc. At the start of
each round, every player puts one game piece
into the center pot. When the pot is empty
or has only one game piece left, every player
should put one in the pot. Players take turns
spinning the Dreidl. Each letter calls for a
different action. If the Dreidl lands on . . .
1/2 cup peanut oil for frying
Nun means “nisht” or “nothing” [in
Yiddish]. The player does nothing.
DIRECTIONS:
Gimmel means “gantz” or
“everything” [in Yiddish]. The player
gets everything in the pot.
1. Place the potatoes in a cheesecloth
and wring, extracting as much moisture
as possible.
2. In a medium bowl stir the potatoes,
onion, eggs, flour and salt together.
3. In a large heavy-bottomed skillet over
medium-high heat, heat the oil until
hot. Place large spoonfuls of the potato
mixture into the hot oil, pressing down
on them to form 1/4 to 1/2 inch thick
patties. Brown on one side, turn and
brown on the other. Let drain on paper
towels. Serve hot!
Source: http://tinyurl.com/hanukkahlatkes
Find more recipes on our Pinterest: http://
www.pinterest.com/jlearningworks/hanukkah/
Hey means “halb” or “half” [in
Yiddish]. The player gets half of the
pot.
(If there is an odd number of pieces
in the pot, the player takes half of
the total plus one).
Shin means “shtel” or “put in” [in
Yiddish]. The player adds a game
piece to the pot.
The player with the most pieces at the end of
the game is the winner.
Check out the “Sesame Street Dreidl” video.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EKAJkzvGSB4
Hanukkah at Home
JewishLearningWorks
Kesher Family Hanukkah Activity
The Dreidl is a game that both teaches and celebrates the miracle of Hanukkah. As you may
have learned from this guide, it’s unclear what the Hanukkah miracle was. Some people
believe it was the oil which lasted eight days. Others believe it was the military victory,
while others suggest the miracle was that the Jews decided to light the small bit of oil and
see, perhaps there would in fact be a miracle. In this activity we invite you to make a Dreidl
of your own, telling the stories of the miracles in your life. Each participant will have an
opportunity to paint their own Dreidl with four letters that speak to a personal miraculous
experience.
YOU WILL NEED:
• Blank wooden Dreidls or some other kind of
blank Dreidl.
• Paint, markers, and/or other things to write on
and decorate the Dreidls.
• A Dreidl with the traditional letters on it to use
for discussion.
INSTRUCTIONS:
Go over the children’s version of the story with
your group. Make sure everyone understands
what the “miracle” was, that the oil lasted for
eight days, and play a few rounds of Dreidl using
the traditional Dreidl to make sure folks are
acquainted with the game.
“Hanukkah is a holiday which celebrates a
miracle. What is a miracle? In the Hanukkah
stories, the Maccabees celebrated because
their oil lasted for eight days. Have you ever
experienced a miracle? It could be something
that happened to you, something you’ve seen, or
even a feeling. In a four word sentence, describe
your miracle. Afterwards decorate your Dreidl
with the four first letters of your sentence as well
as with some pictures or other decorations are
meaningful to you.”
Examples:
My First Home Run MFHR
I Learned To Bike ILTB
I Graduated From School IGFS
Born On February 23rd (My birthday) BOFT
(Of course you can use any birthday)
And don’t forget to share and discuss your
Dreidls afterwards!
Hanukkah at Home
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Hanukkah at Home
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Additional Activities & Crafts
EASY EDIBLE DREIDLS
http://biblebeltbalabusta.com/2011/12/01/edible-dreidels/
INGREDIENTS:
• Marshmallows
• Pretzel Sticks
• Frosting (blue)
• Kisses and / or Chocolate Chips
• Food-safe marker (or food coloring with tiny brush)
INSTRUCTIONS:
Break off a piece of pretzel stick for handle and jab it into one end of marshmallow. Dab a bit of
frosting “glue” onto the other end of the marshmallow. Apply flat side of kiss/chip to frosting.
Write a Nun, Gimmel, Hey and Shin around marshmallow.
The letters go in order from right to left on a Dreidel.
B I R T H DAY C A N D L E M E N O R A H
YOU WILL NEED:
• 9 birthday candles and holders
• Air drying clay (maybe choose the colorful
ones so no further painting is required)
• Acrylic paints
INSTRUCTIONS:
From the clay make a cuboid about 6 inches (15cm) long and 3/4 inch (1 1/2cm) tall and wide.
Make a small cube and put this on top of your cuboid in the centre. Take your candle holders and
press them into the clay, one in the centre cube and four on either side. Leave your clay to harden.
When the clay has hardened, paint your Menorah with acrylic paints. Put your candles in the
holders.
F I N D M O R E C R A F T I D E A S O N O U R P I N T E R E S T PA G E !
H T T P : / / W W W . P I N T E R E S T. C O M / J L E A R N I N G W O R K S / H A N U K K A H /
Hanukkah at Home
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Hanukkah Media
VIDEOS TELLING THE STORY OF HANNUKAH:
For kids ages 6 and up
By G-dcast: https://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=G40SlkmZkqU
By Speakaboos: http://www.speakaboos.com/story/the-story-of-hanukkah
For younger kids
Shalom Sesame’s Hanukkah Videos: http://www.shalomsesame.org/videos#subcatchanukah/1
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sQft5EdHzkk
HANUKKAH POP SONGS:
The Maccabeats – Candlelight – Hanukkah http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qSJCSR4MuhU
StandFour – Eight Nights http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WAbTDHblxFM
The Maccabeats – Miracle – Matityahu http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oHwyTxxQHmQ
Fountainheads – Light Up the Night http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Jzh-TKzXN2k
Fountainheads – I gotta feeling http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PQ6RCl0lie0
APPS/WEB:
Chai on Chanukah – Spin a Dreidl, Light the Candles, Rhymes & More
http://www.jewishicommunity.com/spin-a-dreidel-light-the-candles-its-chanukah-time/
Super-Dreidl https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/super-dreidel/id336392073?mt=8
Too Many Latkes – interactive, animated Hanukkah book
http://www.jewishicommunity.com/too-many-latkes-interactive-animated-hanukkah-book-for-ipad/
Catch the Suganiyah Game
https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/catch-sufgania-donut-game/id399831392?mt=8
Hanukkah: The Festival of Lights StoryChimes https://itunes.apple.com/US/app/id406372121?mt=8
Light the Menorah https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/menorah-chanukah-hnwkh/id297327216?mt=8
Hanukkah coloring Book for iPad http://www.jewishicommunity.com/hanukkah-coloring-book-for-ipad/
123 Color: Hanukkah Coloring Book https://itunes.apple.com/US/app/id401286031?mt=8
TorahTots http://www.torahtots.com/holidays/chanuka/chanuk.htm
Hello Kids http://www.hellokids.com/r_762/coloring-pages/holidays-coloring-pages/hanukkah-coloringpages
READING LIST
Pre-school:
Happy Hanukkah, Curious George, by H. A. Rey
Sammy Spider’s First Hanukkah, by Sylvia A. Rouss
Sadie’s Almost Marvelous Menorah, by Jamie Korngold
Light the Candles: A Hanukkah Lift-the-Flap Book, by Joan Holub and Lynne Avril Cravath
K-3rd Grade:
Latkes, Latkes, Good to Eat: A Chanukah Story, by Naomi Howland
Hershel and the Hanukkah Goblins, by Eric A. Kimmel
The Hanukkah Mice, by Steven Kroll
Hannukah Moon, by Deborah de Costa
The Best Hanukkah Ever, by Barbara Diamond Goldin and Avi Katz.
Festival of Lights: the Story of Hanukkah, by Maida Silverman & Carolyn Ewing.
Maccabee!: The Story of Hanukkah, by Tilda Balsley
Hanukkah at Home
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Adult Text Study
The Hanukkah Story
By DAVID BROOKS
Tonight Jewish kids will light the menorah, spin their
Dreidels and get their presents, but Hanukkah is the
most adult of holidays. It commemorates an event in
which the good guys did horrible things, the bad guys
did good things and in which everybody is flummoxed
by insoluble conflicts that remain with us today. It’s
a holiday that accurately reflects how politics is, how
history is, how life is.
It begins with the spread of Greek culture. Alexander’s Empire, and the smaller
empires that succeeded it, brought modernizing ideas and institutions to the
Middle East. At its best, Hellenistic culture emphasized the power of reason and the
importance of individual conscience. It brought theaters, gymnasiums and debating
societies to the cities. It raised living standards, especially in places like Jerusalem.
Many Jewish reformers embraced these improvements. The Greeks had one central
idea: their aspirations to create an advanced universal culture. And the Jews had
their own central idea: the idea of one true God. The reformers wanted to merge
these two ideas.
Urbane Jews assimilated parts of Greek culture into their own, taking Greek names
like Jason, exercising in the gymnasium and prospering within Greek institutions.
Not all Jews assimilated. Some resisted quietly. Others fled to the hills. But
Jerusalem did well. The Seleucid dynasty, which had political control over the
area, was not merely tolerant; it used imperial money to help promote the diverse
religions within its sphere.
In 167 B.C., however, the Seleucid king, Antiochus IV, issued a series of decrees
defiling the temple, confiscating wealth and banning Jewish practice, under penalty
of death. It’s unclear why he did this. Some historians believe that extremist
Jewish reformers were in control and were hoping to wipe out what they saw as
the primitive remnants of their faith. Others believe Antiochus thought the Jews
were disloyal fifth columnists in his struggle against the Egyptians and, hence, was
hoping to assimilate them into his nation.
Regardless, those who refused to eat pork were killed in an early case of pure
religious martyrdom.
As Jeffrey Goldberg, who is writing a book on this period, points out, the Jews were
slow to revolt. The cultural pressure on Jewish practice had been mounting; it was
only when it hit an insane political level that Jewish traditionalists took up arms.
When they did, the first person they killed was a fellow Jew.
In the town of Modin, a Jew who was attempting to perform a sacrifice on a new
Greek altar was slaughtered by Mattathias, the old head of a priestly family.
Mattathias’s five sons, led by Judah Maccabee, then led an insurgent revolt against
the regime.
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Adult Text Study
The Hanukkah Story continued
The Jewish civil war raised questions: Who is a Jew? Who gets to define the right level of
observance? It also created a spiritual crisis. This was not a battle between tribes. It was a
battle between theologies and threw up all sorts of issues about why bad things happen to
faithful believers and what happens in the afterlife — issues that would reverberate in the region
for centuries, to epic effect.
The Maccabees are best understood as moderate fanatics. They were not in total revolt against
Greek culture. They used Greek constitutional language to explain themselves. They created a
festival to commemorate their triumph (which is part of Greek, not Jewish, culture). Before long,
they were electing their priests.
On the other hand, they were fighting heroically for their traditions and the survival of their
faith. If they found uncircumcised Jews, they performed forced circumcisions. They had no
interest in religious liberty within the Jewish community and believed religion was a collective
regimen, not an individual choice.
They were not the last bunch of angry, bearded religious guys to win an insurgency campaign
against a great power in the Middle East, but they may have been among the first. They retook
Jerusalem in 164 B.C. and rededicated the temple. Their regime quickly became corrupt, brutal
and reactionary. The concept of reform had been discredited by the Hellenizing extremists.
Practice stagnated. Scholarship withered. The Maccabees became religious oppressors
themselves, fatefully inviting the Romans into Jerusalem.
Generations of Sunday school teachers have turned Hanukkah into the story of unified Jewish
bravery against an anti-Semitic Hellenic empire. Settlers in the West Bank tell it as a story of
how the Jewish hard-core defeated the corrupt, assimilated Jewish masses. Rabbis later added
the lamp miracle to give God at least a bit part in the proceedings.
But there is no erasing the complex ironies of the events, the way progress, heroism and
brutality weave through all sides. The Maccabees heroically preserved the Jewish faith. But
there is no honest way to tell their story as a self-congratulatory morality tale. The lesson
of Hanukkah is that even the struggles that saved a people are dappled with tragic irony,
complexity and unattractive choices.
DISCUSSION QUESTIONS
1. Are there modern American values you find to be antithetical or in opposition to other
values, Jewish or not, you hold? Discuss
2. “The lesson of Hanukkah is that even the struggles that saved a people are dappled
with tragic irony, complexity and unattractive choices.” Do you agree? Why or why not.
3. Do you think you could share Brook’s Hanukkah narrative with your children and if
so, how?
Hanukkah at Home
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Hanukkah Songs
I have a little Dreidl I have a little Dreidl
I made it out of clay
And when it’s dry and ready
Oh Dreidl, I shall play
Oh, Dreidl, Dreidl, Dreidl
I made you out of clay
And when you’re dry and ready
Oh Dreidl we shall play
Oh, Dreidl, Dreidl, Dreidl
I made you out of wood
And when you are all ready
I’ll play you when I could
Rock of Ages
– Maoz Zur in English
Hanukkah, Oh Hanukkah
Oh Hanukkah, Oh Hanukkah
Come light the Menorah
Let’s have a party
We’ll all dance the Horah
Gather around the table
I’ll give you a treat
Sevivon to play with
And latkes to eat
And while we are playing
The candles are burning low
One for each night
They shed a sweet light
To remind us of days long ago
Rock of ages, let our song
Praise Your saving power;
You, amid the raging foes,
Were our sheltering tower.
Furious they assailed us,
But Your arm availed us,
And Your word,
Broke their sword,
When our own strength failed us.
Maoz Zur
Oh, Dreidl, Dreidl, Dreidl
I made you out of glass
And when you are all ready
I’ll play you on the grass
Oh, Dreidl, Dreidl, Dreidl
I made you out of gold
And when you are all ready
I’ll play you in the cold
Sevivon Sov Sov Sov
Transliteration:
Transliteration:
Maoz zur y’shuati
l’cha naeh l’shabeach
Tikon beit t’filati
v’sham todah n’zabeach.
L’eit tachin matbeach
mitzar hamnabeach
Az egmor b’shir mizmor
chanukat hamizbeach
Az egmor b’shir mizmor
chanukat hamizbeach.
Translation:
O mighty stronghold of my
salvation, to praise You is a
delight.
Restore my House of Prayer and
there we will bring a thanksgiving
offering.
When You will have prepared the
slaughter for the blaspheming foe,
Then I shall complete with a song
of hymn the dedication of the
Altar.
Sevivon Sov Sov Sov
Hanukkah Hu Chag Tov
Hanukkah Hu Chag Tov
Sevivon Sov Sov Sov
Chag Simcha hu la’am
Nes Gadol Haya Sham
Nes Gadol Haya Sham
Chag Simcha hu la’am
Translation:
Dreidl spin spin spin
Hanukkah is a nice holiday
Hanukkah is a nice holiday
Dreidl spin spin spin
It’s a joyous holiday for the nation
A great miracle happened there
A great miracle happened there
It’s a joyous holiday for the people