Avodah Lesson 6 Chanukah
INTRODUCTION
In this lesson, the class will read the book Like a Maccabee; students will learn the story of Chanukah and how they can be like a Maccabee. What was it that made the Maccabees unique, strong, and willing to fight for what they believed was right? These are important questions for us today when we think about who we want to be and what we want our children to understand and believe. In 176 B.C.E., the Maccabees’ Jewish way of life was being threatened by the Syrian-Greeks, and many Jews were assimilat- ing the Syrian-Greek culture into their lives. Assimilation is nothing new in our day and age; perhaps that is why this story has such enduring value.
The story of Chanukah, traditionally taught as a story of miracles, reflects a struggle to create spiritual meaning from a critical historical event. According to Rabbi Leon Morris:
The early Rabbis did not regard the Maccabee military victory as miraculous. They emphasized the miracle of the oil to the exclusion of the other, more historical, occurrence. When the Talmud tells us the reason for Chanukah, the military victory is mentioned only in passing to provide a context for discussing the miracle of the oil. “What is the reason for Chanukah? Our Rabbis taught: On the twenty-fifth of Kislev begin the days of Chanukah, which are eight days on which a lamentation for the dead and fasting are forbidden. For when the Greeks entered the Temple, they defiled all the oil therein, and when the Hasmonean dynasty prevailed against and defeated them, they conducted a search and found only one cruse of oil that had the seal of the High Priest. That cruse contained only enough oil for one day’s lighting; however, a miracle was wrought therein, and they lit the lamp with this oil for eight days” (Babylonian Talmud, Shabbat 21b).1
While the Rabbis wished to place the emphasis on God, we cannot forget the importance of the histor- ical narrative and the role that individuals played. There are many miracles in the story of Chanukah (the miracle of the military victory of the few overcoming the many; the miracle of the oil lasting for eight days; the miracle of those persecuted or oppressed still being willing to stand up for freedom and for their beliefs), and many of them were brought about by courageous human action. Chanukah is the time when we remember the Maccabees and how they fought against assimilation and for the survival of Judaism. Today, we all fight the battle of assimilation in our own way, but truly each of us can be like the Maccabees, even the youngest among us!
1Leon Morris, “Publicizing the Miracle,” Torat Chayim/Living Torah, provided by the Union for Reform Judaism, http://www.urj.org/Articles/index.cfm?id=2893&pge_prg_id=31402&pge_id=3450 (accessed October 10, 2006).
171 172 Avodah Lesson 6 CHAI: Learning for Jewish Life
This lesson focuses on the Chanukah story, but our home celebration of Chanukah is much more than just the story. While in other lessons in this strand we have explored holidays through the five senses, the retelling of the story does not leave time for that in this lesson. However, we still encourage such explo- ration. The smells of Chanukah can be particularly profound, and the scent of things frying in oil harkens directly back to the story and the miracle of the oil. Games of dreidel enable students to joyfully recount the story, while music in the background can reinforce the unique melodies of Chanukah. We have included the song “So Brave and Bold” on the CHAI Level 1 CD. For additional learning activities related to the five senses, the following resources are recommended:
• Syme, Daniel. The Jewish Home: A Guide for Jewish Living, rev. ed. New York: URJ Press, 2003.
• Rauchwerger, Lisa. Chocolate Chip Challah and Other Twists on the Jewish Holiday Table. New York: UAHC Press, 1999.
• Goodman, Robert. Teaching Jewish Holidays. Denver, CO: ARE Publishing Inc., 1997.
ENDURING UNDERSTANDINGS • Avodah is the work we do to find sacred connections to God, community, and self.
• Engaging in the work of avodah can bring order, beauty, meaning, and insight to our lives and our community.
• My Jewish acts help me discover the beauty and order of sacred time and my place in the Jewish story.
ESSENTIAL QUESTIONS 1. How is striving for a connection to God, avodah, like work?
2. What can I learn about what it means to be a Jew through the practice of prayer?
3. How does the practice of prayer keep my relationships with myself, with God, and with the Jewish people in good shape?
4. What is different about Jewish time?
5. How can my actions make time sacred?
6. How do the holidays bring beauty and order to our Jewish year?
QUESTIONS TO BE ADDRESSED 1. What is the story of Chanukah?
2. What are some of the positive qualities of the Maccabees?
3. How can I be like the Maccabees?
4. How am I a part of the Chanukah story today? CHAI: Learning for Jewish Life Chanukah 173
EVIDENCE OF UNDERSTANDING Students will act out their own retelling of the Chanukah story and complete the sentence: “I am a part of the Chanukah story today; I am like the Maccabees when I…”
LESSON OVERVIEW • Set Induction (5–10 minutes)
• Like a Maccabee (20 minutes)
• Retelling the Chanukah Story (15 minutes)
• Chanukiyot (10 minutes); The Blessings (optional; 5–10 minutes)
• Conclusion/Reflection (5 minutes)
MATERIALS NEEDED • CHAI Level 1 CD, track 17, “So Brave and Bold.”
• A copy of the book Like a Maccabee, by Raymond A. Zwerin (New York: UAHC Press, 1991).
• Plain white paper plates with eye holes cut out.
• Craft sticks.
• Glue.
• Markers, crayons, or colored pencils.
• Blessings sheets from The Jewish Parent Page found at: http://urj.org/_kd/Items/actions. cfm?action=Show&item_id=8917&destination=ShowItem.
• Chanukah candles.
• Reflection sheets.
• Letter to parents requesting chanukiyot (to be sent home one week before lesson) (page 178).
READING RESOURCES FOR TEACHERS Goodman, Robert. Teaching Jewish Holidays. Denver, CO: ARE Publishing Inc., 1997.
Strassfeld, Michael. The Jewish Holdiays: A Guide and Commentary. New York: HarperCollins, 1985.
LESSON VOCABULARY v F´b£j From the Hebrew word for “dedication”; the holiday in which the Chanukah Temple was rededicated. 174 Avodah Lesson 6 CHAI: Learning for Jewish Life h C F©n The family that led the revolt against the Syrian-Greek army and Maccabee reclaimed the Temple. v²H F´b£j A special nine-branched candelabra for the celebration of chanukiyah Chanukah.
J¨N©J The helper candle, the one from the chanukiyah that is lit first and shamash used to light all the other candles.
LESSON PLAN
SET INDUCTION (5–10 MINUTES)
1. If students brought in chanukiyot, have them place them on the teacher’s table. If parents decided to include notes about their chanukiyah, collect these as well. A letter asking parents to send in chanukiy- ot (page 178) should be sent home one week prior to this lesson.
2. Sing or play the class welcome song.
3. Start the Set Induction with a circle game. Ask the students to go around the circle and finish the statement, “I’m proud of myself when I. . . .” You may want to encourage the students to try to say something that no one else has said, and you yourself may want to begin with your own example to give the students an idea of how this will work.
4. Explain to students that we are all capable of doing important things that make us special and make us proud.
5. Ask the students if they have celebrated the holiday of Chanukah, and devote a few minutes to let- ting them share their stories about their celebrations, if this is appropriate. Hand out the Chanukah student booklets. Read page 1 to review the mitzvot of Chanukah. If no one has mentioned the Maccabees, ask the students if they have heard of them.
6. Tell the students that today they are going to learn the story of the Maccabees, who make us proud. They stood up for what was right and fought for Jewish freedom. They fixed the Temple in Jerusalem after it was ruined by their enemies. We celebrate their actions during the holiday of Chanukah.
LEARNING ACTIVITIES Like a Maccabee (20 minutes)
This book tells the story of Chanukah through the actions of the Maccabees. As the story unfolds, the listeners are encouraged to think about how they are like the Maccabees. What actions like the Maccabees have they taken? What positive character traits of the Maccabees do they display?
1. Read the book aloud to the students. Be sure to share the pictures and ask students to describe what they see in the pictures. CHAI: Learning for Jewish Life Chanukah 175
2. When you come to the pages that ask the questions about being like a Maccabee, allow students time to answer the questions for themselves. Ask them to give examples about when they were brave and stood up for what was right.
3. Give each child a paper plate with eye holes cut out, and have them create a mask of themselves as either a Maccabee or a soldier. In the next activity you will need students to play the roles of the Maccabees and the soldiers.
4. Students can use markers, crayons, or colored pencils to draw a face on the masks. Students will need to tape a craft stick to the back to make the mask.
Retelling the Chanukah Story (15 minutes) 1. When all students have completed their masks, retell the story with students acting out the parts for the Maccabees. You may decide to use the abbreviated narrative below; it includes discussion ques- tions. If necessary, give the students appropriate stage directions for each event in the story.
2. As students act out the parts, invite them to share what they are thinking or what they think the Maccabees would say. You can use the questions embedded in the story below as a guide.
Many years ago, in the Land of Israel, then called Judea, a ruler came to control the land, Antiochus Epiphanes (An-tee-oh-kus Eh-pi-fan-ees). He was not Jewish, but Syrian-Greek, and he wanted the Jews to change their Jewish ways to be more like his ways. He wanted the Jews to stop celebrating Shabbat and other holidays and to change the way they worshiped in the Temple. His armies came to the Land of Israel to make sure people did what he wanted.
• What would you say if someone told you to stop celebrating your favorite Jewish holidays?
One day Antiochus’s armies were in the town of Mod’in. They tried to make the Jewish people bow down to a statue of their god. Mattathias, a Jewish leader, told them to stop making Jews do that. He said, “All who are for Torah and God, follow me.”
• What would you have done if you were in Mod’in and Antiochus’s soldiers told you to bow down to their god?
• What do you think the people who followed Mattathias said?
Mattathias and his sons, the Maccabees, led a fight against Antiochus’s army. After three years of fighting, the small Maccabee army defeated Antiochus and his very powerful army.
• How do you think the Maccabees felt about their victory and why?
• What do you think the Maccabees said when the fighting stopped?
After the fighting ended, the Maccabees went to Jerusalem to fix the Temple. They cleaned it and prepared it for rededication (chanukah) (they cleaned up the Temple and prepared it to be a holy place once again), but they had no oil to light the ner tamid, the eternal light. (Each synagogue or Temple has its own ner tamid, usually found in the sanctuary near the ark. If there is time, you may wish to walk over and point out yours.) They found one small jar of oil. Although it was only supposed to last for one day, they lit it. It lasted for eight days, until they were able to get more oil! 176 Avodah Lesson 6 CHAI: Learning for Jewish Life
• How do you think the Maccabees felt when they rededicated the Temple?
• How do you think they felt as they watched the oil burn for days and days?
• How do you feel now when you watch your Chanukah menorah, chanukiyah, burn?
• Why do you think a chanukiyah has a place for eight candles and a shamash candle?
Chanukiyot (10 minutes); The Blessings (optional; 5–10 minutes) Ask the students to look at the chanukiyot that had been placed on the table when they came to class. If parents decided to include a note about their chanukiyah, read it for the class.
1. Ask students to take note of the differences between the chanukiyot. There will likely be many differ- ent colors and shapes.
2. Ask students to take note of the similarities between the chanukiyot. (Possible answers: They all have nine places for candles; they all have a way of distinguishing one candle, the shamash.)
3. Explain to students that all chanukiyot share some things in common: They all have nine places for candles, and they all have a way of distinguishing one candle, the shamash, from the rest. Chanukiyot, however, can come in different sizes and shapes as long as they have these things.
4. Remind students that the chanukiyah represents the oil that burned for eight days. Remind them that there are eight candles—one for each day the oil burned—plus one helper candle that represents the one night the oil was supposed to last. Tell students that this is the shamash, the helper, and is used to light all the others.
5. Have students gather around the chanukiyot, and count the places for candles with the students.
6. If time permits, continue with the following steps, which teach the students how the Chanukah can- dles are lit.
• Explain to students how Chanukah candles are lit:
° We begin with two candles on the first night, the shamash and one for the first night.
° We add one candle each night so that on the last night of Chanukah our chanukiyah is full of light.
° Candles are put in the chanukiyah from right to left, but lit from left to right so that the most recent candle put in is lit first.
• Give students the chance to practice putting candles in the chanukiyah.
• Assign one student or a group of students to each chanukiyah (depending on how many are brought in).
• Assign each group of students a night of Chanukah and have them put in the number of candles that they would need.
• End by saying the blessings, which can be found below and in the booklets on page 3. CHAI: Learning for Jewish Life Chanukah 177
The Chanukah Blessings /v F´b£j k¤J r¯b eh k§s©v ²U m±u uh,I¨ k m¦n± UbC « Ub«¨J±S¦e r¤J£t kIg¨'o v k«Qn¤ Ubh«¥vO¡t '²h±h v¨T©t QUr C
Baruch atah Adonai, Eloheinu Melech haolam, asher kid’shanu b’mitzvotav v’tzivanu l’hadlik neir shel Chanukah.
Blessed are You, Adonai our God, Sovereign of the universe, who has sanctified us through Your commandments, and commands us to kindle the Chanukah lights. /v®Z©v i©n±Z C o¥v¨v oh¦n²H C Ubh«¥,IrIs k oh¦X°¨G g¤b v J 'o kIg k¨v«n¤ QUbh«¥vO¡t '²h±h v¨T©t QUr C
Baruch atah Adonai, Eloheinu Melech haolam, she-asah nisim l’doroteinu bayamim haheim baz’man hazeh.
Blessed are You, Adonai our God, Sovereign of the universe; You showed wonders to our ancestors in this season in days of old.
(Note: The following prayer, Shehecheyanu, is recited only on the first night of Chanukah.) /v®Z©v ©n±Z l k Ubg°D¦v±mh« ¨n±H¦e±u Ubu « Ub«²h¡j¤v¤J o kIg¨vn¤ QUbh k«¥vO« ¡t '²h±h v¨T©t QUr C
Baruch atah Adonai, Eloheinu Melech haolam, shehecheyanu v’kiy’manu v’higianu laz’man hazeh.
Blessed are You, Adonai our God, Sovereign of the universe, for giving us life, sustaining us, and enabling us to reach this season.
• If there is time, give students a chance to repeat the blessings after you. If there is not, you can recite them and have the students say “amen.”
CONCLUSION/REFLECTION (5 MINUTES)
1. Ask students to open to page 2 in their booklets. Students are asked to complete this thought, “I am a part of the Chanukah story today; I am like the Maccabees when I. . . .” Invite them to write their answers or to just share them.
2. Remind students to take home their Chanukah booklets and to share them with their parents.
3. Sing or play the class good-bye song. CHAI: Learning for Jewish Life
Dear Parents,
We need your help!
Next week, ______, we will be learning about the holiday of Chanukah. We would like to see and compare several different chanukiyot (Chanukah menorahs). Please help us by send- ing in a nonbreakable chanukiyah with your child next week. If your chanukiyah has a unique story, please feel free to send in a letter about it that we can share with the class.
Thank you,
______