CHAPTER II Family & Friends, Food & Fun: Gambling, Gift Giving, Games & Gelt Postcard by Hermann Junker 1838-1899, Frankfurt (c. 1850), Germany. (Beit Hatefutsot Photo Archive, Tel Aviv) TABLE OF CONTENTS Family & Friends, Food & Fun Introduction : Guidelines for Celebrating . 115 A. Telling the Tale in Words and in Cartoons. 119 Comics by Tanya Zion: Off to the Olympics! • Antiochus the Mad Maniac • Judah vs. the Elephants • Judith and the General who Lost his Head • Rebus: the Cruse of Oil With Recommended Book, Music and Resource List B. Ethnic Foods : Recipes and their Rationale. 128 Potato Latkas • Moroccan Latkas • Herbed Latkas • Hot Spicy Wine • Blintzes • Sugar Cookies • Persian Potato Omelette C. Games and Activities for All Ages . 130 Playing with Fire and Science Experiments with Light • Word Games • Games of Sight and Memory • Quizzes and Guessing Games • Number Games • Arts and Crafts and Drama • Gambling and Spinning Dreidel • Sports • Identifying Menorah Logos • Games of Skill and of Chance D. Gift and Gelt Giving Ideas. 155 8 Ideas for Hanukkah Giving, such as Quality Time Gifts, Homemade Gifts, Grab Bag, and Tzedakah Gifts • Gifts That Create Community by Lewis Hyde E. Christmas and Hanukkah: E. American Dilemmas and Encounters. 161 “Merry Chanukka”: Holiday Practices 1880-1950 • The Decem- ber Dilemma by Charles Silberman • How Billings, Montana, Defended Hanukkah (1993) • The Mensch Who Saved Christmas (1995) • A Crusade Against the Jewish Christmas Tree (1958) F. Hanukkah Exotica: E. On the Origin and Development of the Dreidel, Card Playing, and Other Hanukkah Customs . 177 ■ by Rabbi David Golinkin 114 INTRODUCTION 1. HANUKKAH CELEBRATIONS: senses — taste, sight, hearing and lots of Minimal Guidelines and Maximal Flexibility hands-on activities. First there are pictures of the story to help parents retell the story to nlike the holy “holi-days” of Pesach, Sukkot and Shavuot, younger children. In Telling the Tale in Words there is no prohibition against working on Hanukkah. In fact, and Cartoons you will find delightful pictures; Ubeyond lighting candles and singing Hallel (Psalms) and add- the children may be invited to color them. ing a paragraph about the miracles (Al HaNissim) to our usual prayers, Included is a list of recommended children’s there is little or no direction or obligations for how we celebrate this holiday books, some of which retell the holiday. Unlike Purim (which is also not a holy day on which work is historical tale, as well as a list of quality audio prohibited) there is no explicit obligation to read a Megillah, to drink, and video tapes. to eat, to send food packages to friends (mishloach manot) or to donate food and money to the poor so that they too can celebrate. That leaves The sense of taste is addressed in a brief Hanukkah quite “barren” but also open to innovation. section called Ethnic Foods: Recipes and their Rationales, which include latkas as well as hot In this chapter we have devoted the first wine and cheese blintzes. Those latter ideas half to experiencing the holiday with all our derive from the Judith story. Gift and Gelt FAMILY AND FUN Giving proposes an innovative list of eight A Rabbinic Debate: ideas, one for each night. Introduction For and Against Feasting on Hanukkah However the heart and body of this chapter ome medieval rabbis like Maimonides mandated making is doing, not eating or reading. Games and Cartoons SHanukkah festive, though no details are given.1 Other Activities provides varied ideas for every age rabbis, like the Rabbi Mordechai Yaffe,2 maintained that the along with amusing cartoon figures. My Foods Talmud intentionally differentiated Purim and Hanukkah daughter, Tanya Zion, has created a wide array precisely on this point of “partying”:3 of games, quizzes, arts and crafts and other Games popular activities adapted for Hanukkah. On Purim, Haman decreed that the Jews be killed, that is, Using the flexibility of the eight nights, feel Gifts their bodies were to be destroyed . therefore when they free to pick and choose and vary these were rescued the appropriate commemoration was both December pleasurable pastimes. through praise and through drink and festivity (eating Dilemma food, especially meat). The second half of this chapter on Exotica Hanukkah celebrations offers a series of light On Hanukkah, on the other hand, Antiochus and the but informative and reflective essays ranging Greeks never decreed that the Jews be killed but only that from Christmas and Hanukkah and their they change their faith . Therefore, when God helped encounter in North America to Hanukkah Israel to defeat the Greeks [and save the Jews’ souls], the Exotica about the origins of the dreidel and (appropriate) way to commemorate the event was only other traditional customs. spiritual, through praise and thanks (Hallel) and not physi- cal, through drink and festivity. Therefore on Hanukkah This chapter opens with Parental Guide- (unlike Purim) festive meals are optional, not obligatory. lines: Hanukkah Hints for Families with Young Children below. Here we have tried to While Rabbi Mordechai Yaffe prefers that Hanukkah remain a give parents of young children some helpful spiritual event, most Jews have followed Maimonides’ view that guidelines for making this a meaningful the Festival of Lights must be celebrated in body as well as spirit. family experience. 1. Maimonides, M.T. Hanukkah 3:3 2. Levush 3. Shulchan Aruch O.H. 670:2 FAMILY AND FRIENDS, FOOD AND FUN 115 2. PARENTAL GUIDELINES: HANUKKAH HINTS holiday cookbook. The children can FOR FAMILIES WITH YOUNG CHILDREN illustrate the recipe book. After checking the ingredients, parents can go shopping with the by Noam Zion and Shira Ackerman-Simchovitch children. After preparing the food, the chil- arents are the “high priests” of informal Jewish family dren can make Hanukkah place mats or an education and their homes are the “temples” for a wealth of illustrated menu and set the table for the Plearning experiences. With an appropriate vision and plenty of guests. ideas for games and activities, parents and children can create wonder- Point out the use of oil in these Hanukkah ful Jewish memories and personalized family traditions for Hanukkah. recipes and explain the various kinds of oils To help develop your family vision for we eat. Once at the supermarket, the Hanukkah, consider the following six areas: children can see how many different kinds of 1. Creating family rituals oil they can find. Parents can use cooking or 2. Retelling Hanukkah stories olive oil to make a simple oil menorah with a wick. At home the children may make a 3. Mastering basic information display of oils of all sorts near the 4. Playing games Hanukkah menorahs. 5. Giving — and not only receiving — gifts MAKING RITUAL OBJECTS (1) Creating Family Rituals In order to make their own Hanukkah By involving our children in shaping our menorah or dreidel, the children can begin by family traditions and preparing ritual objects studying picture books of the Temple’s seven and special foods, we can create family branched menorah or pictures of Hanukkah memories that will last a lifetime. Activities menorahs in books on Jewish ritual objects. like frying latkas or making menorahs will be This can be turned into a game by asking the most effective when seen as part of prepara- child to see how many different materials, tions for a family observance that involves shapes or decorative motifs can be found. informal occasions for learning and sharing The parent may explain the story of the between parent and child. Younger children menorah as well as display and contrast all love to begin to get into the holiday spirit by sorts of candles (like candles for Hanukkah, looking at photo albums of themselves or even for welcoming Shabbat and for havdalah their parents as children celebrating marking the end of Shabbat, for yahrzeit Hanukkah. They often ask their parents to marking the memorial of a relative, as well as recall what they were doing when they were for birthdays and other occasions). the same age as the child is now. On Generally it is recommended to use high Hanukkah the children may wish to take a quality materials in the children’s arts and family photo each night, list all the guests who crafts projects. This will help both the attended, and add these photos to a family children and the adults to take these art Hanukkah album. Families who do not projects more seriously, since children deeply have such albums can begin one and add desire to have their work recognized, praised anecdotes told by parents about when they and preserved for the next Hanukkah. were small. Perhaps a special Hanukkah box should be prepared and saved from year to year with old COOKING TOGETHER decorations, homemade menorahs, etc. Parents can invite their children to help These homemade objects become heirlooms, prepare the special Hanukkah foods. Begin an integral part of the family traditions. by reviewing recipes from a well-stained Beware of throwing out arts and crafts Jewish cookbook and perhaps then print out creations without the child’s permission, lest the recipe and begin a family Hanukkah or they suspect that you do not really value their 116 below in Telling the Tale in Words and Educators suggest that narrative drama is the Cartoons. The psychologist Bruno prime way by which children understand the Bettelheim assures us that scary characters world. like Antiochus are particularly appropriate for younger children who are trying to work out the good and the bad, the secure and the contribution to the holiday. Each child fearful in their worlds. To read about a should be able to participate in the actual formidable enemy who is ultimately defeated candle lighting ceremony, although obviously provides them with the hope and faith that safety comes first when lighting matches.