Chanukah

[MissyAY]

So I have a bunch of Girl scouts ages ranges from k-7th grade. I was wondering if you guys have any ideas of what I could do with them to teach them about Chanukah. I have about 20 minutes with each group that comes to me.

[WriterAtHeart]

So I have a bunch of Girl scouts ages ranges from k-7th grade. I was wondering if you guys have any ideas of what I could do with them to teach them about Chanukah. I have about 20 minutes with each group that comes to me.

Maybe give them an abridged version of the story and make dreidels with them? I have a few divrei Torah about Chanukah:

There is an interesting phenomenon near the end of Shemonah Esrei, specifically in the bracha of Modim. If you look in the siddur, you will see that there are two different versions of Modim. The first is the “regular” version that we say in our silent Shemonah Esrei, and the second is Modim Dirabanan, which is said during the chazara of the chazzan. The Modim Dirabanan is not more rabbinic than the “regular” Modim - they were both composed and instituted by the Anshe Knesset Hagidola. Rather, the Modim Dirabanan is a compilation of the opinions of various sages on what we need to thank Hashem for.
These two different Modims represent two different types of hoda’ah. The first, expressed in the “regular” Modim, is thanking Hashem from a perspective of personal contentment, from the feeling that everything is going well for you. You have the ability to make ends meet, to obtain what your needs, and for this you thank Hashem. It shows stability and overall satisfaction with the goodness that Hashem grants us.
In contrast, Modim Dirabanan is coming from a different perspective, that of living in the moment, unsure of your future, and an inability to sustain yourself without Hashem’s explicit help. This is illustrated by Yaakov, who, just prior to his meeting with Esav, prayed to Hashem to help him. Yaakov, while living in house of Lavan, the ultimate trickster, is not sure where his necessities will come from. He only survives because Hashem helps him. This sustainment was not “natural,” for it was not from Yaakov’s own abilities, but rather because Hashem had mercy on him. Modim Dirabanan expresses the message that Hashem keeps us, even though we don't know what the future will bring. We need to thank Hashem for the support given to us, and ask for it to continue, for without it we will be unable to continue.
Chanukah is the quintessential day of thanksgiving to Hashem. We find both aspects of the two Modims expressed by the two miracles of Chanukah. The first miracle, the military victory over the Hellenists, brought the Jews sovereignty and stability, along with the ability to fend for ourselves. This relates to the thanks expressed in the “regular” Modim. The second miracle, that of the oil lasting for eight days and nights, correlates to Modim Dirabanan and its idea of needing to be miraculously saved by Hashem. We weren't worthy, yet Hashem saved us anyway. Hopefully, we will learn to better appreciate Hashem this Chanukah.


There is a famous machloket between Beit Hillel and Beit Shammai in the Gemara regarding how to light the narot Chanukah. Beit Hillel holds that we should light in ascending order, from one to eight, whereas Beit Shammai disagrees and maintains that we should light in descending order, from eight to one. The Gemara relates an argument regarding their reasoning, too. Beit Shammai holds that either we go according to the days that are left or according to the korbanei mussaf shel Sukkot, whereas Beit Hillel holds that we go according to the days that have passed, or because we ascend in kedusha and don’t descend.
There is a second machloket between Beit Hillel and Beit Shammai regarding the bracha that we say on the ner havdalah that may shed light on the underpinnings of these reasons. Beit Shammai holds that we say, “Who created…”, in the past tense to reflect back to the original fire. Beit Hille, on the other hand, maintains that we should say, “Who will create…”, in the future tense, regarding future fires. This machloket sheds light on the fundamental ideologies, and the view of life, of both opinions. Beit Shammai holds that we must retreat from this world. The korbanei mussaf shel Sukkot illustrate this retreat, a pull back from universality to singularity, Sheminie Atzeret. Beit Shammai’s outlook thus commemorates the loss of potential, which, with regards to Chanukah, is that after the first day we have only seven more to look forward to. Beit Hillel, on the other hand, expresses the opinion that we should constantly strive to the next level, looking ahead to actualizing our potential in avodat Hashem and improving the world. That is why we light the narot Chanukah in ascending order.
This underlying ideology is why the Gemara says that we poskin like Beit Hillel in this world, and poskin like Beit Shammai in the next. In this world, we look forward to fulfilling our goals and actualizing our potential, and so we light the narot Chanukah in ascending order, whereas in the next world we do not have the ability to accomplish more, so we commemorate the successes that we had in this world, and light the narot Chanukah in descending order.

[dance hall drug.]

When I was a kid, my family would teach my classes about Hanukkah around Christmas time.

Basically, the Rugrats version of the story is all you need. "Once upon a time there were some bad men who were very bad to the Jewish people and told them they couldn't read their books or celebrate their holidays. Some of the Jewish men wanted to continue being Jewish, so they did this in secret. The bad men found out and were very angry, so they destroyed the temple. But the Jews decided to rebuild it, and went to light the eternal light. They only had enough oil for the light to burn for one day, but it lasted 8, just enough to make more oil. It was a miracle. Today, we celebrate that miracle by lighting a 8 candles, one each day."

And then play the dreidl song and play some dreidl and give out chocolate. The older kids can obviously get a richer story and do a bit more.. but the kindergardeners only really need a dreidl and chocolate.

[WriterAtHeart]

And since it's girls maybe bring up the strong women of Chanukah like Chana/Hannah and Yehudit/Judith - I know Chabad has some good articles about the both of them, I don't have any personal extensive research done on them but I might write something for my blog about one or the other, if I do I'll post it.

[MissyAY]

Thank you so much :) I have seen those on Chabad I wouldn't have thought to bring up a strong women figure thats a great idea. :)

[MissyAY]

Thank you so much, I knew a lot of that already, but some I didn't it's very interesting makes me think about Chanukah a little differently in that there isn't just the Chanukah story there is more to it that maybe I should mention with the little ones, but that is a little iffy since they are none-jews whom I don't want to get confused.

[WriterAtHeart]

Thank you so much, I knew a lot of that already, but some I didn't it's very interesting makes me think about Chanukah a little differently in that there isn't just the Chanukah story there is more to it that maybe I should mention with the little ones, but that is a little iffy since they are none-jews whom I don't want to get confused.

There are a gazillion different layers to everything in Judaism, especially Chanukah - that whole defeating the Greek culture and assimilation, how we shouldn't give up ourselves just to fit in. Especially for the age group you're dealing with, you could bring in the strong women of Chanukah as proof about how we should stand up for what we believe in and never give in no matter what...ooh, I totally have to write an article about this for my blog...

[MissyAY]

haha way to be! :)

[dance hall drug.]

Thank you so much, I knew a lot of that already, but some I didn't it's very interesting makes me think about Chanukah a little differently in that there isn't just the Chanukah story there is more to it that maybe I should mention with the little ones, but that is a little iffy since they are none-jews whom I don't want to get confused.

I would keep it basic for the little kids. The older girls, though, you could do more with. I'm saying this as someone who works with kids in that exact age range.

[MissyAY]

I wish it was that simple, but the age groups are intermingled which makes it a little more challenging to find something that works with every age group.

[dance hall drug.]

I wish it was that simple, but the age groups are intermingled which makes it a little more challenging to find something that works with every age group.

That's silly.. in that case, you'll just need to find a happy medium. Keep the story light, and make it very clear that within the story are strong women and name them. "It wasn't just the Jewish men who fought back.. but some incredible women did too. This is how..."

[MissyAY]

:) thank you