Chanukah

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3 Unit(s), 13 Resource(s), 2 Teaching Tool(s)

Unit

What is Chanukah About?

What is the historical story of Chanukah? This unit addresses the different stories of Chanukah and how they have influenced the character of the holiday.

Ages: 9-11, 12-14,
Unit

Chanukah Values

Unit on important values related to the story of Chanukah

Ages: 12-14,
Unit

Chanukah Candles

This unit is about Chanukah candles: how and why they are lit, the symbolic significance of lighting candles and the idea of spreading light and its cultural and personal significance.

Ages: 6-8, 9-11,
Resource

Loyalty to Our Principles

On Chanukah we celebrate the victory of the Maccabees over the Greeks, who tried to force the Jews to refrain from keeping Jewish practices and leave their religion. In the resource, we will learn about the decrees of Antiochus and the Jewish opposition to them, and we will consider what principles are sacred to us and how they can be maintained in the face of external pressure.

Ages: 12-14,
Resource

Chanukah – The Story of the Holiday

We will become familiar with the Chanukah story and the customs associated with the holiday. We will discuss what we can learn from the story and how it can serve as a source of inspiration in our lives today.

Ages: 6-8, 9-11,
Resource

Light in Art: Monet – The Painter of Light

Light influences and determines the way we see the world, particularly in terms of colors. This is evident in the art of the Impressionist school, including the works of the painter Claude Monet. We will examine how this perspective is connected to various ideas in Jewish tradition.

Ages: 9-11, 12-14,
Resource

Heroism

The Maccabees’ heroism brought an end to the religious decrees enacted against Jews in the Land of Israel and to the victory that we celebrate on Chanukah. In this resource, we will discuss the question of what is heroism and who is a hero.

Ages: 9-11,
Resource

Miracles

On Chanukah, we celebrate the victory of the Maccabees and the miracle of the small jug of oil. In this resource, we’ll discuss what a miracle is and the tension between human actions and relying on miracles from heaven.

Ages: 12-14,
Resource

The Different Faces of Chanukah

In this resource, we will draw a parallel between two descriptions of the Chanukah story: The historical description found in the Book of Maccabees versus the Talmudic account describing the miracle of the oil jug. We will deal with the question of how each narrative contributes to our understanding of the story as a whole, as well as our own personal connection to the holiday.

Ages: 9-11, 12-14,
Resource

Symbols – The Menorah as a Jewish Symbol

The menorah (candelabra) from the Temple serves as a Jewish symbol. The chanukiya, which symbolizes the menorah and the Chanukah miracle, has itself acquired the status of a Jewish symbol. We will study the menorah and the subject of symbols: we will consider what a symbol is, become familiar with some Jewish symbols, and study their meaning.

Ages: 6-8, 9-11,
Resource

Hellenism

Chanukah is a story of an encounter between Hellenist culture and Jewish culture. It represents the traditional worldview of preserving Jewish identity in the face of foreign cultural influences. In this resource, we will address the tension between Jewish culture and local and global culture.

Ages: 12-14,
Resource

Maoz Tzur

In this resource, we’ll learn about this song and take a closer look at its lyrics. We’ll address the struggles of the Jewish people against enemies over the course of history.

Ages: 12-14,
Resource

The Enlightening Dispute Between Hillel and Shamai

This resource deals with the dispute between Beit Hillel (the school of Hillel the Elder)  and Beit Shamai (the school of Shamai the Elder)  over whether we should add or detract from the number of Chanukah candles that we light each night of the holiday. We will use their dispute to discuss the value of debate in Jewish tradition and the concept of “machloket l’shem shamayim” -“a dispute for the sake of heaven”.

Ages: 9-11, 12-14,
Resource

Light – A Symbol of Good

This unit discusses light as a symbol of good in the context of the Chanukah story.

Ages: 9-11, 12-14,
Resource

Light and Darkness

This resource discusses the importance of light in our lives and in the world and the use of light as a metaphor for good versus darkness as a metaphor for evil, examining these assumptions.

Ages: 6-8, 9-11,
Resource

Chanukah Candles

This resource deals with the mitzvah of lighting candles on Chanukah and its symbolic significance.

Ages: 6-8, 9-11,
Teaching Tool

Chanukah Diary – The Chanukah Story

The story of Chanukah in the form of a fictional diary of a girl who experienced the events. To be translated by the teacher.

Ages: 6-8, 9-11,
Teaching Tool

Different Faces to the Holiday

Different sources tell the Chanukah story in different ways, each with its
own respective emphases and messages. List the main components of
the Chanukah story according to the two primary sources.

Ages: 9-11, 12-14,