AL HANISSIM AND THE MIRACLES by Miriam Spitzer

LESSON AT A GLANCE Students will study the Al Hanissim prayer as an entry into discussion about prayers of gratitude, the miracles of Hanukkah, and miracles in their own lives.

OBJECTIVES • Students will view the story of Hanukkah through the lens of the Al Hanissim prayer. • Students will see Al Hanissim as a thank-you note to God. • Students will think about prayer as a vehicle for gratitude. • Students will think about miracles in their own lives and how to express gratitude for them.

LINKS http://www.zemirotdatabase.org/view_song.php?id=48 http://www.greatjewishmusic.com/Midifiles/Hanukka/Al_Hanisim.htm

VOCABULARY

miracle for the miracles in those days at this time

ACTIVITY 1) Thank-You Notes Have students write a two-sentence thank-you note for something someone gave them. Make sure they include at least a phrase or two about w h y they liked it. Next, have students write a two-sentence thank-you note for something someone did for them, including a phrase about w h y they liked it. Students should decorate the thank-you notes with images or symbols that relate to the thing someone gave to or did for them. Discuss: Why is a thank-you note important? Why did you choose the images and symbols that you included?

Divide the class into pairs. Have each pair write a thank-you note to God for the miracles of Hanukkah. Students should include at least a phrase or two about why they are thankful for the

BabagaNewz.com PAGE 1 of 3 original Hanukkah (bayamim hahem, in those days) and for Hanukkah as they experience it today (bazeman hazeh, at this time). They may also include in their thank-you notes images or symbols they associate with Hanukkah. What are the miracles of Hanukkah? Are the Hanukkah miracles something God gave to us, did for us, or both? How so? How did the miracles of Hanukkah affect the Jews of the time? How do the miracles of Hanukkah affect us today? Why should we thank God for these miracles?

2) Text Study Al Hanissim is a prayer that we add to the and Birkat Hamzaon on Hanukkah, , and Yom Ha’atzmaut to thank God for the specific miracles of each of these holidays. Our discussion focuses specifically on the Hanukkah text of Al Hanissim. Printable source sheets are available at BabagaNewz.com.

AL HANISSIM PRAYER FOR HANUKKAH, AMIDAH AND

For the miracles, and for the salvation, and for the mighty deeds, and for the victories, and for the battles which You performed for our ancestors in those days, at this time.

In the days of , the son of Yohanan the High Priest, the Hasmonean, and his sons—when the wicked Greek kingdom rose up against Your people Israel to make them forget Your Torah and compel them to stray from the statutes of Your Will—You in Your great mercy stood up for them in the time of their distress. You took up their grievance, judged their claim, and avenged their wrong. You delivered the strong into the hands of the weak, the many into the hands of the few, the impure into the hands of the pure, the wicked into the hands of the righteous, and the wanton into the hands of the diligent students of Your Torah. For Yourself You made a great and holy Name in Your world, and for Your people Isrel you worked a great victory and salvation as this very day. Thereafter, Your children came to the Holy of Holies of Your House, cleansed Your Temple, purified the site of Your Holiness and kindled lights in the Courtyards of Your Sanctuary; and they established these eight days of Hanukkah to express thanks and praise to Your great Name.

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How is Al Hanissim like the text of your thank-you note? How is it different from the text of your thank-you note? What surprises you about the Al Hanissim prayer? [no mention of oil burning for eight days, no mention of the , strong emphasis on God] What is the point of the Al Hanissim prayer? [to thank God for the miracles, to remind us to thank God for the miracles, to remind us not to take things for granted, to help us refocus Hanukkah, to make us think about miracles in our time]

3) Concluding Activity Al Hanissim is said not only on Hanukkah, but also on Purim and in some communities on Yom Ha’atzmaut. Make a class mural or bulletin board showing miracles that have happened to the Jewish people “in those days” and “at this time.” Along with the miracles of Hanukkah, students can include the miracles of Purim, Yom Ha’atzmaut, events in the history of the State of Israel, events in students’ personal lives, etc.

FOLLOW-UP AND ENRICHMENT 1. Invite other classes to come see the class mural or bulletin board showing miracles. Have other classes respond to the project by writing their own thank-you notes to God and adding additional miracles to the project. 2. Learn how to sing the first paragraph of Al Hanissim. Visit http://www.zemirotdatabase.org/view_song.php?id=48 and http://www.greatjewishmusic.com/Midifiles/Hanukka/Al_Hanisim.htm for various recordings of the song. 3. Have students write a journal entry about something that happened in their lives in the past week, month, or y e a r , and why they feel grateful to God.

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