Sharing Hanukkah at School

Charlotte Jewish News December 2021

Ah, December — time for delicious fried foods, cozy family get-togethers, lighting the menorah, and a yearly visit to your child’s school to explain Hanukkah. Chances are that if your child attends a secular or public school, you may be invited to teach a short lesson to their class about Hanukkah. If you’ve done this in the past, or every year, you may be getting tired of the same old crafts and cooking demos. If you’ve never had to do this, but you’re on the hook for this year, we’ve got a few tips to help give an elementary or preschool classroom a crash course in Hanukkah.

First, give yourself a refresher on the Hanukkah story. In one sentence, Hanukkah, or the Festival of Lights, celebrates the rededication of the second Jewish Temple after it was taken back from the Greeks in the second century.

Discuss with the students. For pre-K (3-5 years):

Children in this age group understand what it means to be brave like the Maccabees. Encourage kids to talk about times that they’ve been brave, whether by talking to a new friend, going to the dentist, or getting back on their bike after they’ve fallen down. For big kids (6+):

Hanukkah celebrates liberation from oppression and reminds us of the importance of freedom of religion. It also teaches us to fight back when people’s rights are taken away. For children ages seven and up, Hanukkah provides a jumping-off point for discussions about freedom of expression and current events.

Discussion questions might include:

What makes freedom important for all people?

How can a small group make a difference?

For the more valuable tips and links to printable directions for playing dreidel, recipes, and more, please go to www. pjlibrary.org/hanukkah.

The Center for Jewish Education (CJE) and PJ Library Charlotte are proud to offer ready-touse Hanukkah kits for sharing Hanukkah in schools. Kits include age-appropriate stories, activity sheets, one Hanukkah menorah, dreidels, and chocolate gelt. Quantities are limited. Call (704) 944-6783 to reserve your kit.

Reprinted with permission from PJ Library’s blog on PJlibrary.org.

for “Hanukkah Parents”