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HANUKKAH THEME

BACKGROUND

Jewish families celebrate Hanukkah (also spelled Chanukah) during the winter months. Arrange a visit of parents or a rabbi to tell the Hanukkah story, teach the kids the dreidel game and perhaps bring in some special Hanukkah food to taste. Hanukkah, also called the Festival of Lights of the Feast of Dedication, is an eight day holiday that begins on the 25th of the Hebrew month of Kislev (November or December). It commemorates the successful fight for religious freedom by a small army of Jews more than 2,100 years ago. Judah Maccabee was their leader
against the mighty Syrian-Greek army of Antiochus IV. After their victory in the hills of Judea, the small Maccabean army recaptured Jerusalem. There they rededicated the desecrated Temple to the worship of God. When it came time to light the Temple’s great lamp, the seven-branched menorah, the Maccabees could find only a single jar of sacred oil — enough to last just one day. Miraculously, this oil burned for eight days until new oil could be prepared.
To remember the miracle of the Maccabees’ victory and the jar of oil that burned for eight days, Jews everywhere light menorahs during Hanukkah. Each of these special lamps (more accurately called a Hanukkiah) holds eight candles in addition to the shammash, or helper, candle. This special candle, which is used to light the others, is separate and often higher than the rest.
On the first night of the holiday, the shammash is used to light one candle. On the second night, the shammash lights two candles, and so on for the eight nights. To proclaim the miracles, it is customary to place the lamps on a windowsill for all to see. A traditional food eaten on Hanukkah is latkes (small potato pancakes) and sufganiyot (donuts). This food is fried in oil — another reminder of the miracle of the oil in the Temple. Children especially enjoy Hanukkah. They receive candy money called Hanukkah gelt, and receive gifts from parents and relatives each night. During the day they play games with a four-sided top called a dreidel (pronounced “dráy-d’l”).

CRAFTS:

A Finger Hanukkiah
Have the kids place their left hand on the left side of a sheet of coloured paper so that their wrist is even with the bottom. Spread their fingers. Trace around four fingers, starting at the bottom. 
Don’t trace the thumb! Put their right hand on the right side of  the paper and trace around their four right fingers. Draw a large “candle” in the middle and connect it to their “candle” fingers. Colour the Hanukkiah and each of the candles. Glue bits of yellow or orange tissue paper for the flames.

Drediels
Material: pencils, glue, paint and paintbrushes, small milk cartons or boxes
Direction: Fold tops of milk cartons down to make boxes. Mix a little glue with paint and
let children paint boxes. Poke pencil through box from top downward so point is on bottom.

Menorah Candle Handprints
Let one child at a time place both hands in dark colored paint and make a Menorah print on construction paper by placing fingers of each hand spread and together with thumbs over-lapping. When the menorah is finished have the children dip a finger into yellow point and make a "flame" at the top of each candle.

Personalized Bookmark
Using an envelope with the window in the middle, cut the front and other side off. Cut a piece of coloured paper a little larger than the window. Stencil and cut out letters for a name the kids want to put on the bookmark. Glue the letters onto the coloured paper. Put glue around the edges of the window and fasten it to the coloured paper. Make a fringe on one end.

Paper Chain Menorah
Staple or glue coloured strips of paper together to form a ring. Put another strip through the ring and fasten it to make another ring. Make a large chain of rings for the outer part of your menorah. Make smaller chains for each branch. Use masking tape to attach your menorah to a window or a wall, or pin it to a curtain. 

Playdough Menorah
Material: playdough, birthday candles, large candles
Direction: Roll out piece of playdough and press to form base. Place large candle in
center and four small candles on each side of large.

Recycled Dreidel
To make a recycled dreidel you will need the following:
• a clean, dry milk carton
• pictures from old magazines or junk mail
• dried out thick marker, or pieces of dowel
• scissors
• glue
• strong tape
• marker.
1. Cut the milk carton about 7.5 cm from the spout. Bend the open spout backwards (flat against the carton) and tape down.
2. Open the other side of the spout and tape those pieces down as well. This will leave a point in the middle.
3. Slide the spout end of the carton over the bottom half.
4. Glue a collage of pictures on the dreidel, and write one of the Hebrew letters on each side: nun, gimmel, hey and shin. 
5. Make a hole in the bottom and poke a marker through for a handle. Spin the dreidel and see which letter lands on top.

Wrapping Paper
blue paint, large pieces of white paper, plastic margarine lids, small
Hanukkah cookies cutters (or basic shapes)
Pour small amount of paint into margarine lids. Dip a cookie cutter into
paint, stamp on paper, and then let paint dry.
 
 

GAMES & ACTIVITIES:

Candle Clock
You will need: 2 tapered candles that are the same length, Ruler, Permanent marker
Direction: To make a candle clock, burn one candle for 30 minutes. Measure the difference
in length between the 2 candles. This length now represents a half-hour. With
the permanent marker, make half-hour marks on both candles. Burn one of the
candles for several hours. Have your children tell you how much time has
passed by counting the number of marks down the candle has burned.

Spin the Dreidel
Each child should take an equal number of raisins or chocolate pieces, and place the rest in a central pile or “pot”. the kids must take turns spinning the dreidel. If it lands on the Hebrew letter “Nun”, the child takes nothing from the pot. If it lands on “Gimmel”, the child takes everything from the pot. “Hay” means the player takes half, and “Shin” means the player shares or puts one from his pile into the pot. The letters “Nun”, “Gimmel”, “Hay” and “Shin” are the first letters of the Hebrew words that mean “A Great Miracle Happened There.” At the end of the game, divide the pot equally amongst the kids for everyone to enjoy.
 

SONGS:

The Latkes
As you sing, hop around as if you were being fried in a pan!
Look at me I’m a Hanukkah latke
Look at me, I dance and sing
Yes, oh yes, I’m a Hanukkah latke
Yes, oh yes, I dance and sing.
Take some potatoes and you grate them
Add some salt and flour too
Yes, oh yes, I’m a Hanukkah latke
Yes, oh yes, I’m good for you.
The Hanukkah
How many candles,
How many candles,
How many candles do we light?
On our Hanukkah,
On our Hanukkah,
The first Hanukkah night?
One, one, one, one, one, one,
One candle burning
One candle burning
The first Hanukkah night.
 

STORIES:

Have any good stories? Let us know!
 

FOOD SUGGESTIONS:

Apple Fritters
Serve these warm and sprinkled with icing sugar. Try adding pineapple rings or chunks of banana to the batter. 
250 mL flour 
30 mL sugar
75 mL milk 3-4 apples
10 mL baking powder 
1 egg
30 mL vegetable oil 
cooking oil
Stir together the flour, baking powder and sugar until mixed. In a separate bowl, beat the egg with the milk and oil, then add this to the flour mixture and blend well. Don’t beat it too much! The batter should be thick enough to coat the apple slice. If it seems too thick, add a little more milk to thin it. Peel and core the apples and slice them into rings. Dip slices into the batter, then deep-fry until brown on both sides, turning once. Drain on paper towels and sprinkle with icing sugar.
If you run out of fruit before all the batter is used up, try dropping globs of batter into the oil and see what weird shapes you can create.

Potato Latkes
(Eat with applesauce, sour cream or just “as is.”)
6 medium potatoes 30 mL flour
1 onion 5 mL salt
2 eggs oil for frying
Peel potatoes and grate them on the large holes of a hand grater or in a food processor. (Supervise children carefully with the grater. This method can take a long time and their attention may drop just long enough for an accident to happen.) Dump the potato shreds into a colander and squeeze out all the excess liquid. (It’s essential to get it all.) Transfer the potato to a mixing bowl. Grate the onion and add it to the potatoes along with eggs, flour and salt. Mix well. Heat about 2 cm of oil in a large frying pan and drop large spoonfuls of the batter into the hot oil. Fry one side until golden, then turn them over and fry the other side. Lift out and drain on paper towels. A 4 kg bag of potatoes makes approximately 24 latkes. Serve warm.

TIPS/NOTES: