Loving the Chanukah Experience

     Chanukah is a celebration of light over darkness.  We ventured out of our room, into the IJP Library, to get a good look at the contrast of light and dark.  Some of us prepared paper dreidels in the classroom, carefully poking holes in them, and then we placed them on the light-table. We shut the library lights. Yoni, Hannah and Ruthie investigate the dreidels at the light-table. (Below, Ari S has a turn at the light-table.)

     A few of the children were intrigued by the shadows.  We hid Chanukah candles under the paper dreidel.  We were still able to count them.  Can you?

      On Friday, we baked "Chanukah Challah."  Never heard of this tradition?  Neither did we.  Morah Susan had the pretty blue cupcake papers at home and she brought them in.  The school had colorful sprinkles--so festive.  Perfect for Shabbat Chanukah.  Pearl, Noa, Ari E and Rami push their challah dough into the cupcake papers.

Our "Chanukah Challah" waiting to go in the oven.  Delish!

     We baked Chanukah cookies, too.  Real cookies, of course.  Here, Henia and Pearl have decided to prepare Chanukah-shaped Play-Doh cookies.  Later, they bring them to the housekeeping area, offering them to all their friends. We ate latkes in class, and sufganiot, too.  Lots of yummy food fried in oil.  We spoke again about the miracle of the olive oil and Chanukah. 

     The girls had "gifted" us with dreidels from Israel.  We were excited to see the letter "pey" on these Israeli dreidels.  Our "American" dreidels have a "shin" on them, representing the words: a great miracle happened there.  The Israeli dreidels have a letter "pey" instead, meaning that a great miracle happened here, in Israel.

     Together, we experience the joy of being Jewish.   We celebrate the holiday by lighting the Chanukah candles, singing the brachot, and dancing.

     Finally, it's time for some serious fun, singing and food.  We love getting together with all our IJP friends and family.  We sing and chat.  We decorate Chanukah cookies and then we nosh on our cookies, applesauce and latkes. Shlomit, Yoni, Mortimer and Reed participate respectfully at the table and enjoy the party.

     (Below, Ruthie and Hannah, Shaya and Ari S, Shlomit and friends, Noa and Leiba--celebrating Chanukah!)

 Enjoy!

Morah Susan and Morah Sterny