Improvements Expand Learning Opportunities For ECE

Jackie Weiss Early Childhood and Jewish Education Coordinator

Lisa Yoskowitz Early Childhood Education Director

So, what is Hanukkah and why do we celebrate this fun and joyous holiday?

To a young child running on the playground or participating in an exciting new activity in the classroom, the world is filled with possibilities. They question everything they see. This newness and innocence reminds us of our own humanity and helps to re-connect us to the world around us at a time when it is so easy to get lost in our busy lives. That’s a part of what makes the early childhood years so important, because children bring such a marvelous perspective to events that many of us take for granted.

Hanukkah is an eightday celebration that commemorates the victory of the Maccabees over King Antiochus IV and his soldiers. After their victory, the Maccabees rededicate the Temple in Jerusalem. A new menorah was built, but there was only a tiny jar of oil, which looked like enough to last for a day. However, a great miracle happened! The oil lasted for eight whole days.

There are so many wonderful and exciting new “possibilities” here at the JCC’s Early Childhood Education (ECE) program! Our new Trexler Library and Media Room will be completed this spring, following last year’s classroom renovations. The room will be filled with shelves of books and other immersive media, and comfortable and cozy seating for the children. In addition, we will have an interactive

For that reason, a candle on the menorah or Hanukkiya is lit for each of the eight nights of the holiday to commemorate the miracle. For that reason, Hanukkah is referred to as The Festival of Lights! It is a custom to light the menorah near a window, where it can be easily seen, and each night, the light from the candles continues to grow, which serves as a wonderful reminder to me that hope never fades, it can only grow stronger. touch-screen TV that will be linked to the award-winning TeachSmart software, enabling staff to bring new learning experiences to small groups of children. Also, this past winter, thanks to a generous donation by Jason & Crissy Toff, a new pavilion was built adjacent to one of our ECE playgrounds; this will serve as an outdoor classroom and dining space, further enhancing the variety of learning environments we have access to.

Hanukkah is a favorite Jewish holiday of many children because it is a custom for kids to receive gifts for all eight nights! In addition, many delicious traditional foods are made on Hanukkah. Potato pancakes or latkes, jelly donuts, and chocolate coins, known as Hanukkah gelt, are mainstays that the entire family can enjoy! In a heated debate that many Jews find themselves on the opposite side of, it is a question of whether latkes go better with applesauce or sour cream. While we won’t take sides in this article, there are cases for both!

This school year, with seven classrooms in operation, the ECE program is 96% capacity. Registration for the 2023-2024 school year is now open, and we encourage all interested families to register as soon as possible, as wait lists have already been started for some age groups. We are proud to offer the highest standard of early childhood education quality, combined with our family and adult programs, and enrich the JCC community which has made us the premier provider of early childhood education services in the Lehigh Valley for over 70 years.

Another staple is the dreidel, a four-sided spinning top with Hebrew letters on each side that stand for the phrase “a great miracle happened there,” with “there” referring to Israel (Fun fact, in Israel the letters are different with “here” replacing “there!”). Traditionally, games of dreidel are played for stashes of Hanukkah gelt, with the winner receiving a pile of chocolate coins.

Valley will be celebrating Hanukkah with our annual Family Hanukkah Celebration and Community Candle Lighting on Sunday, December 18 from 3pm-5pm. We will be celebrating in style

Stagemakers cast explores indigenous culture

A&A Transportation

Lois Albright+

Jodi & Randy Barson*+

Elaine Rappaport-Bass+

Valissa Baxter

Alan Berger+

Sylvia & Sam Bub+

Audrey Cherney+

Maxwell Davison+

Robyn & Brad Finberg*+

Jane & Arthur Kaplan+

Binae Karpo+

Rosine Knafo+

Kobrovsky Family Fund*+

Beth & Howard Kushnick+

Martha Lebovitz+

Elaine Lerner+

Joan Lesavoy+

The Loomis Company

LVIC* cocoa, live entertainment, and a dance party! Register online sameach!

Linda Silowka+(L)

Fred & Barbara Sussman Family Fund+

Carah & Ryan Tenzer+

Enid & Alan Tope+

Vanguard Cleaning Services of NE

Pennsylvania

Susan & Marc Vengrove+

Beverly & Ronald Wasserman+

Frances & Martin Weinberg

Arthur Weinrach+

Heather Lavin Program Director

Eileen & Roberto Fischmann+

Lucy Gans & Leslie Fletcher+

Jean Francis+

Susan Engelson Friefeld*+(L)

Leonard Glazier+

Jeff & Elizabeth Greenberg+

The cast of Disney’s “Moana Jr.” wowed the audience and was able to fully embrace their roles with the help of PBS39 and the Museum

Patricia Gribben*+

HSA Mechanical*

George Mann+

Ann Marie & Steven Markowitz+

McGriff Insurance Services

Betty Mendelson+ of Indian Culture. Stagemakers would like to thank PBS39 for their support of the staff’s work to educate the cast about indigenous cultures and lifestyles. PBS39 provided educational resources based on the series and character

Marc Nissenbaum*+

RKL, LLP*

Robin & Alex Rosenau+

Molly of Denali. In addition, the organization funded the cast’s workshop with the Museum of Indian Culture’s educator Christine Applegate, who taught indigenous life skills and advised on the production’s dramaturgy.

David Weinstein*+

Margo & Steven Wiener+

+ Previous Year Donors

* Over $500

(L) Life & LegacyTM Donors

List of additional donors as of 2/15/23

Participants worked on hand weaving baskets, fishing line, and nets which were used for props and created masks and symbolic stamps to hand-stamp linen, which became part of the costumes for the production.

Deena & Mark Scoblionko+(L)