Thursday, December 10, 2015

Our Chanukah week

As we celebrate Chanukah, the children reveal to us all they have learned.  
They immersed themselves in all aspects of the holiday.
Clara: We can build the Holy Temple.
Nora: Yeah we can.
Clara: And if it gets knocked down we can be like the Maccabees and fix it back up.
Ari: Hey, this triangle makes it look pretty extra cool. We are getting more oil for the menorah.
Evan: Yeah but it will take a long time to get new oil.
Ari: 8 days long.
Nora: But the oil will still burn. 
Clara: We need to fix the big menorah, it got knocked over.
 Morah Tzivie read  a few Chanukah stories. While Morah Tzivie read Pini the Pitcher,
Matan: Morah Tzivie the oil jar is crying.
Morah Tzivie: It is, can you guess why?
Clara: The Greek soldiers are smashing everything.
Ari: But the Maccabees are coming.
Another story Morah Tzivie read told a different part of the Chanukah story.
Morah Tzivie: What are the Jewish people doing? These are some things we do.
Abram: Lighting candles.
August: Sharing Tzedakah.
Morah Tzivie: But then the Greeks came with a very bossy king.
Matan: The Maccabees are coming.
August: They chase the Greeks away.
Our puppet friend Sally had a problem.
Sally: Kids! There is this guy in my bookshelf, and he is so bossy. He tells me I can't ready books and he wants me to follow all his rules. He says his name is King Anti somebody. WHO is this guy?
Abram: He was a rude king back in the day.
Clara: He bossed people around and was mean. You don't want him to come for dinner.  But I'd invite a Maccabee.
August: The Greeks made a mess in the Holy Temple. 
Evan: The Beit Hamikdash, I can say that big word.
Sally: Well what happened to this bossy king? / King Antiochus: Hey! Don't listen to them listen to me!
Clara: The Jewish people prayed to Hashem. 
Ari: Judah Maccabbe! He came!
Clara: He chased the Greeks away.
August: Hooray for the Maccabbes!
Judah Maccabee: Did someone say my name?
Sally: The Gan preschoolers did, they told me all about you. King Antiochus is here messing up my books and play area.
Judah Maccabbe: I will chase him away.
Abram: Just like in Israel!
The children took turns telling the story.
Abram: I'm King Antiochus, I am mean and bossy.
Abram/Judah Maccabbe: The other Maccabees and I will chase you away!
August: (to Maya) Judah Maccabbe how did you get rid of the Greek Soldiers?
Maya/Judah Maccabee: I chased them away!
Judah/Judah Maccabee: The Greeks chased me away, but I hid and then I went back to Jerusalem and chased them out!
The children shared their knowledge of Chanukah throughout the classroom.
Ari: I want to create a menorah to take home for my mom but I don't know how to draw one.
Morah Katie: Maybe you can use one of ours to inspire you.
Ari: I will trace this one and I want it to be a paper clip menorah so I will need tape to stick them and I'll use yellow tape like the flame.
Evan: I am learning my letters on the dreidel, but I don't always remember them.
Ari: So we can just play and spin.
Judah: I'll teach Sadie and Maya how to play dreidel.  I'll pass out our pretend gelt. Then we will spin our dreidels.
Maya: Like smart Jewish kids.

Evan: Hey the invite is a dreidel, why is it a dreidel?
Morah Breanna: Can you guess why? 
Evan: Because it is Chanukah.
August: The Jewish kids would hide the torahs and spin the dreidels!
Judah: Last night was the 2nd night of Chanukah.
August: Look there are four candles but Judah's menorah is almost full.
Judah: Maybe they are extras. Because that means it would 13 Nights of Chanukah when there are only 8.
Matan: There is jelly in my donut.
Clara: We eat donuts because they cook in oil. And I like them.
Abram: I am Judah Maccabee.
August: I am King Antiochus and I am leaving where I live to go mess up your temple!
Olivia: We are the Maccabee and we will chase you away!
 Maya and Sadie enjoyed playing a latke game, and Neil made a play dough menorah and dreidel.
Sadie: Judah Maccabee!










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