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!