Celebrate Chanukah
In 2018, the first night of Chanukah is Sunday, December 2. Our site will help you and yours celebrate Chanukah. Email any ideas you have for celebrating, great videos or songs you like and we’ll share them here! (email us)
Check out all that is going on here at TRS at our Chanukah Happenings page.
Chanukah Bulletin Insert 2017 (includes blessings, readings for each night, lyrics to songs, etc)
TRS Pinterest Chanukah Board: we’ve got tons of recipes, craft and decoration ideas and more (you don’t have to be signed on with Pinterest to check it out)!
Shop for Chanukah
Women of TRS offers two options to find the perfect holiday gifts: The Chanukah Bazaar and Judy’s Place.
Treasures Chanukah Bazaar
Everything you need for the “Festival of Lights!”
Open now, special hours.
Judy’s Place–Where Children Shop for Holiday Gifts
Open now, special hours.
Lighting the Candles
Learning About the Holiday
Union for Reform Judaism Chanukah 101
My Jewish Learning Chanukah 101
What is the story behind Chanukah gelt?
For Families
TRS Chanukah Parent Packet (great for classroom presentations!)
“A Kid-Friendly Version of the Hanukkah Story” by Rabbi Sara Y. Sapadin
Union for Reform Judaism Learn About Chanukah Traditions with Shalom Sesame (and more)
Union for Reform Judaism Activities for Toddlers and Twos
The Hanukkah Shaboom! Special – A Shaboom! Discussion and Activity Guide for 4-7 Year Olds and Their Parents
“Eight Ways to Celebrate Hanukkah with Teens” by Rabbi Elizabeth Zeller
NFTY Teen Hanukkah website
Ideas for celebrating
“8 Social Justice Gifts to Make the World a Better Place This Hanukkah” by Liz Mitlak
“A Song for Each Night” by Lauren Phillips (with links to music)
“Eight Experiential Hanukkah Gifts to Teach Kids about Jewish Values” by Annette Powers
Playing Dreidel
Materials:
1 dreidel per group of players
A bunch of small items to act as counters; raisins, pretzel sticks, M&M’s, chocolate
coins, beans, bingo chips, etc.
Game Play:
• Divide the counters equally among the players.
• Every player contributes one counter into a central pile. This becomes the “pot.”
• Players spin the dreidle in turn and contribute or collect items from the pot based upon which letter faces up when the dreidle stops its spin.
Winning:
The player who gains the most items wins.
Dreidle Facts:
- The letters on the dreidle stand for the Hebrew phrase “Nes Gadol Haya Sham” – “A Great Miracle Happened There”
- Dreidles in Israel have a different 4th letter (Pey) to stand for “Nes Gadol Haya Po” – “A Great Miracle Happened Here”
- The dreidle originated in Eastern Europe. The word “drey” means “spin” in Yiddish.
- The Hebrew word for dreidle is “s’vivon”.
- There is a legend that Jewish children used dreidles during the times of the Greeks as a way of hiding the fact that they were doing Jewish study, which was forbidden.
My Jewish Learning Dreidle game
Books
Our library also has some Chanukah books for you! Visit our TRS Library webpage to see the wonderful selection.
Resources for Interfaith Families
Food
Easy Sufganiyot (Jelly Donuts) Video
Sweet Potato Spiced Sufganiyot (Gluten-free)
Videos
Shake It Off – Taylor Swift Parody – Hanukkah Edition
Hanukkah Song Mashup – Dance Spectacular! – Elliot Dvorin & Key Tov Orchestra
Main Line Reform Chanukah video
The Jewish Education Project Ultimate Playlist
The Maccabeats – Burn – Hanukkah
11 Great Modern Chanukah Songs
StandFour – Eight Nights – Hanukkah Mashup
The Maccabeats – Shine – Hanukkah
The Maccabeats – Candlelight – Hanukkah
Music
OySongs has a great selection of downloadable Chanukah music