The Maccabees

We shared what we knew about Chanukah.

Moshe: We light the candles.

Evan: We light one each day. Night.

Moshe: There is a menorah.

Eli: 8 days.

Evie: Sing songs.

Moshe: Oil.

Evan: Latkes. 

 

We learned about the Maccabees and what happened a long time ago in Israel.

Evan: A king said no more going to the synagogue.  

Moshe: He came from a different country.

Zoey: He said "NO reading, No Alpeh bet, and mezzuzah, and No Shabbat and coins."

Evan: "You can't do any mitzvahs."

Morah Katie: How do you think the Jewish people felt when this happened?

Evan: Sad. 

Moshe: Serious.

Zoey: Angry.

Gwen: Sad.

Morah Katie: What happened? What did the Jewish children do?

Moshe: They hid their torahs behind their backs and did other stuff.

Morah Katie: Other stuff called?

Moshe: Dreidel.

Morah Katie: Tell me more about the Chanukah story.  Who were the Maccabees?
Zoey: All of us. Our school family.
Morah Katie: We can be Maccabees. What do we have to do?
Evan: Be brave and strong.
Morah Katie: A long time ago in Israel, who were the Maccabees? Why do we talk about them today?
What did the Maccabees do?
Moshe: They punched and pushed them away.
Morah Katie:  Who did they chase away?
Evan: The soldiers who went to the temple and opened all the closets that had the oil and were throwing all the oil and cracking it.  Then the Maccabees went back to the synagogue and it was all brokenness. And they cleaned it up and looked for one more (jug of oil) for one day and IT lasted for 8 days instead of just one day.
Moshe: It took 4  days to go to the olive orchard and get the oil and 4 days to get back.
Morah Tzivie: 4 days and 4 days, that was some good math.  It took 8 days, and the whole time they were waiting, the oil in  menorah was burning. It was a great miracle.