Hanukkah : Festival of Lights
Written by: Betsy Reese 
and used with permission

Hanukkah, Hanukkah,
Festival of Lights.
Light the menorah,
For eight festive nights.

Background on the Observance for the Teacher 
No matter how you spell it, the roots of this holiday's name lie in the Hebrew word Hanokh, or "inaugurate." The story of Hanukkah, 8 days and nights of rejoicing and rededication, can be found in the Second Book of Maccabees, the last historical book of the Old Testament. 

For thousands of years, the Jewish people have struggled to retain their homeland and traditional way of life. In 332 B.C., Alexander the Great took control of Jerusalem, their capital city. Alexander wanted to unite all people into his Greek culture. This was known as hellenization. Then, 125 years later, a Syrian king named Antiochus III insisted even more strongly on the hellenization of all conquered peoples. His decree included the worship of his gods. Unrest grew between the Jews and the Syrians and many people were killed. An elderly priest, Mattathias of Modin, along with his 5 sons, recruited an army of Jewish people willing to resist the Syrians. The Jewish fighters became known as the Maccabees (which means mallet or hammer) after Mattathias' youngest son, Judah Maccabee, who proved to be a brilliant fighter and an inspiring leader. The Syrian army outnumbered the Jews 10 to 1 and had the latest arms as well as warrior elephants. In time, this powerful army took control of the Temple in Jerusalem. As the Temple symbolized to the Jews their right to worship freely by the Laws of the Torah, this was a terrible blow--even through hundreds of years of foreign rule, the Jews had been allowed to worship freely until now. Determined to regain control of the Temple at any cost, the Maccabees took back Jerusalem and their Temple after 4 costly battles. It would take many more years of fighting to gain religious freedom. 

Judah and his men began cleaning and rebuilding the Temple. After a great deal of work, the Temple was refurbished. It was completed on the 25th day of the Hebrew month of Kislev. They planned a special celebration to rededicate the Temple. But they only found one jar of the special lamp oil, which had been sealed and hidden away. It was just enough oil to burn the Temple menorah for only one day. However, miraculously the lamp remained burning for 8 days and 8 nights, giving Judah and his men the time they needed to find more oil. 

Hanukkah means "dedication." To celebrate the great miracle of light in 168 B.C., Jewish families since then have gathered around a special menorah which contains 9 candles. Every night of the holiday the menorah is lit. The helper or server candle (or shammash) is lit first. From this candle, the Hanukkah candles are lit, one more each night. The candles should be added to the menorah from the right to the left, but they are lit from the left to the right. The candles symbolize light, truth, and the Jewish people's love of liberty. Gifts are exchanged and children receive Chanukah "gelt" or coins. Games are played using a cube-shaped top or dreidel. On this dreidel are 4 Hebrew letters: Nun, Gimel, Hay, and Shin. They stand for Ness, Gadol, Haya, Sham, "a great miracle happened here." 

Although not a holiday from the Torah (therefore not having any Biblical requirements), Hanukkah has been differentiated from regular days of the week by special actions and special foods. The most popular themes throughout the Hanukkah dishes are the use of oil and cheese. The oil reminds us of the oil which burned 8 days instead of one; the cheese reminds us of the cheese dishes that Judith fed to Holofernes, the Syrian commander whom she beheaded. Other traditions include eating a special meal while the lights are burning and, in many homes, the women also refrain from working during this time. These traditions commemorate the important role of the woman and the family in the Hanukkah miracle. 

Hanukkah, or the Feast of Lights, is an 8-day celebration which begins in late November or December. It falls on different dates each year as do other Jewish holidays because they run according to the Jewish calendar, which is more than 5750 years old. Dates for upcoming Hanukkah celebrations are:

December 20, 2003 (Jewish Year 5764) 
December 8, 2004 (Jewish Year 5765) 
December 26, 2005 (Jewish Year 5766) 
December 15, 2006 (Jewish Year 5767) 

Hanukkah Songs & Music 


Eight Little Candles 
Tune: "Twinkle, Twinkle, Little Star" 

Eight little candles in a row,
Waiting to join the holiday glow.
We will light them one by one,
Until all eight have joined the fun.
Eight little candles burning bright,
Filling the world with holiday light.
--Jean Warren 

I'm a Little Dreidel
Tune: "I'm a Little Teapot" 

I'm a little dreidel [dray-dul]
Made of clay.
Spin me around
When you want to play.
When I fall down, if you don't win,
Just pick me up and spin again!
--Adapted Traditional 

Lighting the Candles
Tune: "Twinkle, Twinkle, Little Star" 

Time to light the candles bright.
Let them shine into the night.
First we light the middle one
For that candle, when it's done,
Will be used to light them all,
Eight more candles standing tall. 

Light the candles, 1, 2, 3,
Shining and reminding me.
Light the candles 4, 5, 6,
See their brightly burning wicks.
Light the candles 7, 8.
A miracle we celebrate.
--Mary Tucker 

Time for Hanukkah 
Tune: "The Paw-Paw Patch" 

Peel all the apples, put 'em in a pan,
Peel all the apples, put 'em in a pan,
Peel all the apples, put 'em in a pan.
It's time for Hanukkah! 

Cook up the apples, make applesauce,
Cook up the apples, make applesauce,
Cook up the apples, make applesauce.
It's time for Hanukkah! 

Additional verses: Grate the potatoes, stir 'em in the batter;
Cook up the pancakes, stack 'em on the platter.
--Jean Warren 

Lighting All the Candles
Tune: "I've Been Working on the Railroad" 

I am lighting all the candles
On this Hanukkah night.
I am lighting all the candles,
To see them shining bright.
Flicker, flicker little candles,
Fill me with you glow.
Now the time has come to count them,
Ready, set, let's go!
1-2-3-4-5-6-7-8-9.
--Gillian Whitman 

Spin the Dreidel
Tune: "Old MacDonald Had a Farm" 

Spin the dreidel round and round,
Hanukkah is here.
Watch it fall onto the ground,
Hanukkah is here.
With a gimmel here and a nun there
Here a shin, there a hay,
Dreidels spinning all the day.
Spin the dreidel round and round,
Hanukkah is here!
--Gayle Bittinger 

The Festival of Lights
Tune: "The Farmer in the Dell" 

The Festival of Lights, 
The Festival of Lights, 
Candles glow for Hanukkah
Eight holy days and nights. 

The Festival of Lights,
The Festival of Lights,
Dreidels spin and children sing 
Eight holy days and nights.
--Sara E. Freeman



Women and Hanukkah 

With each occurring Jewish holiday we rarely stress the role that women played in the unfolding drama associated with the historical events. During Hanukkah however, at least 2 women are remembered for their devotion and courage. For many generations, following the Maccabean revolt, their brave deeds have inspired thousands, including artists, playwrights, composers and authors. The first is Hannah whose story is recorded in the Book of Maccabees (II, 7), one of the books of the Apocrypha, attributed to the period of the Second Temple and not included in the Biblical canon. The second is Judith whose story also appears in the Apocrypha in a book appropriately named after her. 

Let us hear their stories. 

Hannah and Her Seven Sons : A Tale of Martyrdom

Be strong, my heart!
Break not till they are dead,
All, all my Seven Sons;
Then burst asunder,
And let this tortured and tormented soul
Leap and rush out
Like water through the shards
Of earthen vessels broken at a well.
--From The Dungeon in the Citadel by Henry Wadsworth Longfellow

The Second Book of Maccabees relates how the Greek ruler of Judea, Antiochus Epiphanes IV came across a Jewish woman and her 7 sons and ordered them to eat a pig in public. [Although the actual name of this woman is not recorded, the name Hannah was accorded by a 16th century Spanish-Jewish scholar.] Fortified by the religious convictions that their mother installed in them, each son, in turn, refused to eat the meat, was tortured and put to death in front of his mother. Finally, Antiochus stood in front of Hannah and her last surviving 3-year old child. Losing heart at the prospect of another refusal, the angry and perplexed ruler appealed to Hannah to direct the little boy to eat the pig's meat and be saved. However, the young boy astounded the Seleucid ruler. He replied that he was only sorry that he had to wait so long to show his love of the Torah. Hannah praised the boy and he, too, was killed. The courageous mother then followed her sons in death. According to one version of the story, she threw herself off the city walls in her grief at their deaths. 


Judith and Holofernes : A Tale of Military Bravado

Judith was a beautiful woman who lived in the Jewish town of Bethulia during the Hasmonean revolt. The Syrian general Holofernes, laid siege to the town. All seemed lost until the widow, Judith, told the town elders that she had a plan to defeat the enemy. At first, the elders scoffed at her but as the situation became increasingly desperate, they finally condescended to allow her to try her plan. 

She dressed provocatively and prepared a sack of food and wine. Approaching the enemy camp, she was immediately captured and brought before Holofernes. Impressed with her beauty and her prediction of his defeat of the Jews, he invited her to celebrate alone with him. 

She fed Holofernes with salty cheese which induced him to drink the wine and finally fall sleep. She then took his sword, cut off his head, and returned through the slumbering enemy camp to Bethulia. When the Greek troops saw the head of their leader hanging from the town's walls, they lost heart and retreated. The siege of Bethulia was over. 

What They Said about Hanukkah 

The truth proclaimed by the flickering lights of Chanukah will never be extinguished. We may say a thousand times: "My soul and conscience, be silent--I want my physical comfort." But human nature being what it is, faith will fire our conscience and point mockingly to our own folly. 

--Rabbi R. S.M. Lehrman, author of A Guide to Chanukah and Purim

The precept of the Chanukah lights is very precious. One must be very scrupulous about it in order to popularize the miracle, and to offer additional praise to G-d for the wonders that He performed on our behalf. 

--Maimonides, 12th century philosopher and codifier

Notwithstanding the necessity to take up arms, you must know when to put them down. Too many revolutionaries forget why they fought.... It is the spirit that must be the ultimate victor; if not, the enemy will have won, for you will become like him. 

--Arnold Eisen in The Jewish Holidays (ed. by Michael Strassfield)

In our own day, the meaning of Chanukah is undergoing a change. Influences, both Jewish and environmental, have been helping to strengthen ceremonies connected with it... But whatever the transformations it is still destined to undergo, Chanukah will continue to serve, as it has for 2000 years, to keep alive the eternal hope that God will not forsake his people and, that overnight, right must triumph. 

--Solomon Grayzel, 20th century historian

After the Greeks had conquered most of the peoples of the world, they arrogantly thought: "We will rise above the clouds and will subjugate the Chosen People...as we have done with so many other peoples. [However] after the Hasmonean victory, their penalty was to become the lowliest of nations. 

--Eliyahu Kitov, The Book of Our Heritage

Hanukkah Classroom Activities 

Hanukkah Greeting: Shalom 

Shalom, a Hebrew word meaning peace, is used when saying hello or good-bye. Teach your class to say shalom and how to write this special word in Hebrew. 

Hanukkah Fingerplay 

Spin, little dreidel,
Spin, spin, spin.
Please, little dreidel,
Let me win!
(Sit and spin around.)
Now, little dreidel,
My happy top,
Slow down, little dreidel,
It's time to stop.
(Spin slowly, then "drop" to one side.)
--Judy Wolfman

Math 

Star of David Number Game: Cut 20 4-inch triangles out of heavy paper or tagboard. Make each 6-pointed star by placing one triangle point up and gluing another triangle point down on top of it. Use a felt-tip marker to number 5 of the stars from 1 to 5 and draw corresponding numbers of dots on the other 5 stars. The children then take turns finding the matching pairs. 

Dates: The date of the Maccabean victory was 168 B.C.E. Can you figure out how many years ago that was? What does B.C.E. mean? B.C.? A.D.? 

Other Math: By lighting the Shamash and adding a candle each night for 8 nights, how many candles in all are needed? 

Starting with A=26, B=25, C=24, etc., assign a value for each letter of the alphabet ending with Z=1. Compute the value of each holiday word: candle, menorah, gifts, cards, dreidel, latkes, Temple, Judah, Kislev, etc. Use a calculator to make the computations. Which word has the highest value? Lowest? What would the value of your name be? Your best friend's name? Your teacher's name? The name of your town? 

Good Eating 

Menorah Treat: Give each child half a mini-size pita bread. Spread peanut butter or cream cheese inside each half. Use pretzel sticks or carrot sticks for candles. Push the sticks into the sandwich filling so that the center shammash stands taller than the others. 

Group Work 

How Many Ways? Play this language game with your children. Ask them one of the following questions. Encourage them to think of as many responses as they can. Support your children's creative thinking and self-esteem by accepting all of their answers as "correct," even the absurd ones. Continue with as many questions as you and your children would like: How many ways can you say "Happy Hanukkah?" ; How many ways can you say "Thank you?" ; How many ways can you light a candle? 

Menorahs 

Menorahs come in many styles. Organize a classroom display by asking Jewish teachers and students to bring their menorahs to school. Notice the unusual varieties and the way they are alike and different. 

Create an original menorah design. 

Class Discussion 

Discuss freedom. Since early times, people have sought freedom. Brainstorm a list of people/events relating to freedom. (Examples: the Montgomery bus boycott, the tearing down of the Berlin Wall, the Emancipation Proclamation, etc.) Explain how freedom was gained in each case.
Enrichment: Make a freedom timeline. 

Resources 

Organize a Hanukkah bibliography that your class and other classes might use. Form a learning team or committee. Consult with the school librarian to find out how to do a bibliographic listing. What information will be needed for each book? How are listings made? Type the completed bibliography and ask your teacher to make copies for distribution. 

Hanukkah Chant 
Use this on the eighth day of Hanukkah, after all 
the candles have been placed in each candleholder. 

Hanukkah, Hanukkah,
Festival of Lights.
Light the menorah,
For eight festive nights.
One, two, three, four,
Five, six, seven, eight. 

Hanukkah Lights 

I want to be the one who lights
The candles which will brightly glow.
I'll light them all because we know,
There is one candle for each night.
Each night of Hanukkah they'll shine,
1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, in a line. 

Reading & Creating 


Find a Hanukkah story in the library. Practice reading it to a friend or classmate until you know it well. Now practice telling the story as a storyteller might. Present it to the class. 

Using the word freedom, think of 2 or 3 words that begin with each letter. For example, F might stand for fun and favors; D for dreidel and delight. 
Hanukkah Crafts 

Make a Star of David 

Glue 3 tongue depressors or Popsicle sticks together to form a triangle. Make 2 triangles. Spread glue over them and sprinkle glitter on them. Fit them together to form a star of David and glue in place. 


Hanukkah Resources 

Drucker, Malka. Grandma's Latkes.
Kimmel, Eric A. Asher and the Capmakers : A Hanukkah Story.
Kimmel, Eric A. The Chanukkah Guest.
Kimmel, Eric A. The Magic Dreidels : A Hanukkah Story.
Kimmel, Eric A. When Mindy Saved Hanukkah.
Kimmelman, Leslie. Hanukkah Lights, Hanukkah Nights.
Manushkin, Fran. Latkes and Applesauce : A Hanukkah Story. 
Modesitt, Jeanne. Songs of Chanukah.
Pushker, Gloria Teles. Toby Belfer Never Had a Christmas Tree.
Rosen, Michael J. Chanukah Lights Everywhere. 
Rosen, Michael J. Elijah's Angel : A Story For Chanukah and Christmas. 
Rosenberg, Amye. Melly's Menorah.
Rothenberg, Joan. Inside-Outside Grandma : A Hanukkah Story.
Schnur, Steven. The Tie Man's Miracle : A Chanukah Tale.
Zalben, Jane Breskin. Ben's First Chanukah.
Ziefert, Harriet. What Is Hanukkah?. 

Originally posted: http://www.umkc.edu/imc/hanukkah.htm
Reposted with permission.