F E A T U R E
L E S S O N
P L A N
B Y
S A R A H
R O A R K
“Kindling
Flames of
Courage: A
H
. anukkah
Ceremony for
the Family”
PA G E S 1 5 – 1 9
These ideas can help enhance the
H.anukkah Ceremony for the Family.
Please use the following activities to
encourage and enrich your students’
engagement with this special ceremony
at home.
This H.anukkah Ceremony for
the Family begins with lighting
the h.anukkiyah and saying the
appropriate blessings, but it
doesn’t end there. Students will
learn what Jewish life was like
during the time of the Maccabees and consider how difficult it can be to belong to a
minority. This ceremony looks at
the importance of community
and the strength of heroes who
stood up for their beliefs in
times of great pressure, inspiring others to take action.
OBJECTIVES
k Family members will gain a
deeper knowledge of the
spiritual meaning of H.anukkah.
k Family members will share an
innovative holiday experience.
k Family members will center
their H.anukkah observance on
Jewish values and fulfill hiddur
mitzvah, the beautification of
a mitzvah.
VOCABULARY
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BABAGANEWZ
TEACHERS’ GUIDE
KISLEV 5765
INTRODUCTION
H
. anukkah, the Festival of Lights, is observed for eight
days, beginning on the evening of the 25th day of
Kislev. This year, the first night of H.anukkah is
Tuesday, December 7, 2004; the holiday continues
until the eighth day, Wednesday, December 15, 2004.
The Hebrew word H.anukkah literally means
“dedication,” and this holiday focuses on renewed
dedication, faith, hope, and spiritual light. H
. anukkah
marks the rededication of the Holy Temple in
165 B.C.E., after many years of defilement by the
Syrian-Greeks. The Maccabees’ military victory over
the Syrian-Greeks allowed Jews to finally celebrate
Sukkot, a week-long holiday they had yearned for
while the Temple was in foreign hands.
The Sages explain that the H
. anukkah candle-lighting
ceremony commemorates the miracle that made one
small jug of oil burn for eight days, until more could
be manufactured. The rabbis living under Roman rule
used this ceremony to shift H.anukkah’s emphasis
from rejoicing in Jewish strength over foreign
oppressors to remembering God’s spiritual and
miraculous intervention. In more recent Jewish
history, the metaphor of a small, strong army
overcoming overwhelming odds took on new
meaning to a small Jewish state surrounded by Arab
neighbors.
Each H
. anukkah, we are reminded to be a beacon of
light to the world, to appreciate the beauty and the
power of the light within each of us and in the world
around us. Just as the Maccabees cried out, “Whoever
is for God, follow me!” to rally the people against the
Syrian-Greeks, so too we need to fight against evil and
work to create and defend peace and freedom.
H.anukkah teaches us that even a small few can
triumph over a great enemy, and that each individual
has the potential to make a big difference in the world.
This special tekes (ceremony) helps center H
. anukkah
on Jewish values and expand the knowledge and
awareness of what H.anukkah is really about.
Enriching the simple ceremony of lighting the candles
also incorporates a Jewish concept called hiddur
mitzvah, beautifying a mitzvah.
MAKING THE CEREMONY A FAMILY EVENT
1. Send a letter or e-mail home describing the beauty
of this ceremony and suggesting that families read
and perform the ceremony. (A sample letter is
available on www.babaganewz.com/teachers.) Explain
that this special ceremony offers families a new way
to share in the celebration of H
. anukkah together.
2. Encourage families to host the tekes and invite
members of the class.
3. Use the list of supplies for the tekes (on page 19 of
BABAGANEWZ) to send home small gift bags to help
students’ families perform the tekes. Students can help
assemble these gift bags in class.
4. A part of the tekes asks families to contribute to a
tzedakah organization. Consider sending home a list
of possible tzedakah organizations with a brief
description and contact information. If your class,
school, or synagogue have adopted a special tzedakah,
encourage families to contribute to that organization
during H.anukkah. Other possible organizations
include:
American Red Magen David for Israel
Provides emergency medical, ambulance, blood, and disaster
services in Israel
888 Seventh Ave., Suite 403, New York, NY 10106
www.armdi.org
MAZON: A Jewish Response to Hunger
Helps prevent and alleviate hunger among people of all faiths
and backgrounds
1990 S. Bundy Dr., Suite 260, Los Angeles, CA 90025-5232
www.mazon.org
Ziv Tzedakah Fund, Inc.
Funds individual endeavors and activities of small organizations
to improve people’s lives, restore dignity, and provide hope
Naomi Eisenberger, Administrator
Ziv Tzedakah Fund, 384 Wyoming Ave., Millburn, NJ 07041
www.ziv.org
5. Teach the songs in the ceremony (Maoz Tzur, Mee
Y’maleil, and Light One Candle) so that students will
be able to sing them at home. Send home the lyrics
(found on www.babaganewz.com/teachers) and direct
students and parents to the BABAGANEWZ website to
hear more H
. anukkah music.
ENRICHING THE CEREMONY
1. Decorate! Encourage families to decorate their
homes with dreidels and h. anukkiyot. Hang up
student art projects from previous years and
encourage your class to make their own.
For a simple art activity, try the following:
Fold a piece of construction paper in half.
Draw half of a h.anukkiyah (template available online).
Cut out the half-h.anukkiyah, leaving the folded edge intact.
Unfold this cutout to make a symmetrical h.anukkiyah.
Glue strips of colored tissue paper on the back, across the
cut-out, to create a “stained glass” effect.
2. Don’t forget the food! Send home recipes for latkes,
sufganiyot, and other traditional H
. anukkah foods. Try
including a recipe from another culture (see
“H
. anukkah Around the World” on the BABAGANEWZ
website.)
3. Give a gift! Encourage students whose family
celebrations include gift-giving to donate one night’s
gift to a shelter or special H.anukkah donation
program.
4. Tell a tale! In class, discuss the stories of the
Maccabees, Golda Meir, and the residents of Billings,
Montana. Encourage students to find, research, and
share other stories of courage. Good resources include
A Different Light: The Hanukkah Book of Celebration
by Noam Zion and Barbara Spectre and The
Christmas Menorahs: How a Town Fought Hate by
Janice Cohn (available from www.bababookz.com).
5. Share your feelings! Have students write a poem
about courage. Suggest the cinquain, which uses the
following structure:
LINE 1: Title Noun (two syllables)
LINE 2: Description (four syllables)
LINE 3: Action (six syllables)
LINE 4: Feeling or Effect (eight syllables)
LINE 5: Synonym of Title Noun from Line 1 (two syllables)
For example:
Nerot
Burning slowly
Flames lighting up the room
Spreading H.anukkah joy to all
Brilliance
6. Mitzvah Mission! The close proximity of H
. anukkah
and Christmas creates an opportunity for acts of h
. esed.
Many synagogues and community organizations have
made December 25th a day for community service.
Look for opportunities in your community. Volunteer
to work in a soup kitchen, crisis center, or shelter so
that other volunteers can enjoy their holiday with their
families.
T E A C H I N G T I P.
More great resources for recipes, art projects, and other fun
H.anukkah ideas can be found on www.babaganewz.com.
Students can share their poems as part of the tekes.
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