Light a Chanukah candle With the Western Galilee Partnership Lesson Plans from Israel

Light a Chanukah candle With the Western Galilee Partnership Lesson Plans from Israel

Greetings from Li-at Cohen, Director of the Partnership and Leah Haliva and Aviah Zimran, Chairs of the Partnership Education Task Force The Partnership with Israel and the Western Galilee region wish you and your family a happy Chanukah. Chanukah is the Festival of lights, which brings our dearest together and also enlightens us to reach out to our broader Jewish family all over the world. The Partnership in the Western Galilee values deeply our fruitful connections and looks forward together with you to inspire, connect, and further empower our relationship. When a person lights one candle from another, the first benefits and the other person hasn t lost anything. (Bamidbar Rabba, 13) Chag Sameah 2

This booklet is a collection of lesson plans about Chanukah. These plans were written by the Israeli teachers who are visiting the Diaspora communities during Chanukah 2010, with the aim of teaching them in the twinned schools during their visits in the communities. The lesson plans have already been successfully taught to pupils in Israel, and now teachers in all the Partnership communities can strengthen their connection with Israel, by giving identical workshops with identical content to the students on the other side of the ocean. The lessons include scientific experiments on the quality of oil, spiritual workshops about inner light, making dreidels out of recycled materials, as well as plays, songs, and humorous tasks in the spirit of Chanukah. I am delighted to have been given the privilege to coordinate the Twinning Program in Partnership 2000 Western Galilee, and I hope that the lesson plans in this booklet, like other educational endeavors within this program, will light up, strengthen, and add additional layers and depth to the existing connections. Wishing you fruitful and enjoyable study, Eliad Eliyahu Ben-Shushan Twinning Program coordinator in Partnership 2000 Western Galilee EliadEliyahu@gmail.com In all the activities, use unlit candles, if candles cannot be actually lit in the classrooms. 3

Shazar School: For Technology and Entrepreneurship, Akko Lesson planed by: Carmit Avizemer, Ora Gershoni, Ronit Hasin The Listening circle The light within me Rationale: The personalized education program creates an educational system which views each pupil as a person with unique talents and requirements. The purpose of the program is to provide a personal response to each pupil, so as to enable him to utilize his or her potential to the fullest, while involving and integrating him as much as possible in the available range of opportunities. What is a listening circle? A listening circle (council) is an exercise in speaking and listening attentively. By expressing our innermost feelings with empathic, non-judgmental listening, the circle creates a non-hierarchal structure of deep communication between the participants. Aims: Bringing a tool to the meeting which encourages personal communication, helps in making connections and opening oneself up within a short time, and can be imbued with Chanukahrelated content. The circle is appropriate for all ages, and exposes the educational staff to a particular style of working. Accessories: A candle for each participant, a candle in the center, a talking stick( microphone ) and a tablecloth. 4

The Activity: Pupils sit in a circle. The room is dimly lit with pleasant background music. All participants are given a general explanation about individualized education and the starting the day lessons as done in the Shazar School, and the meaning of listening circles. Opening the circle: each child introduces himself, and adds a light source (positive quality) of the person next to him (lights his friend s candle- figuratively or for real). The rotation continues in this way until the circle is complete, and all the participants candles are lit. We introduce the pupils to the midrashic source: When a person lights one candle from another, the first benefits, and the other person hasn t lost anything. (Bamidbar Rabba, 13) Continued explanation of all the intentions (to speak from the heart ) Moving to the central theme of Chanukah stories: The participants spin a large dreidel with the Hebrew letters N, G, H, P (each the initial letter of a concept). H (hayiti rotzeh) I wish P (pahad) fear N (nes) miracle G (gevura) bravery Everyone participates using the talking stick in turn, tells a personal story according to the concept which the driedel fell on. All others listen emphatically and nonjudgmentally. Closing the circle: Children, who wish to, share the feelings they experienced during the activity. The hosting teacher summarizes and extinguishes the candles. To conclude with: craft activity (should time allow) 5

Hofei Hagalil Elementary School, Matte Asher Lesson Planed by: Revital Ofek & Nili Teishler, Many lights drive away the darkness From Key to the Heart the Ministry of Education s informal education program Light is considered a symbol of the positive, good and beautiful. In social-ethical discourse, light is used to represent people s goodness and ethics, such as: positive behavior, contribution to the community, capabilities and talents, knowledge and understanding. Reference to the concept in its social significance will probably encourage a discussion about the uniqueness of each individual in the group, emphasizing what is good, positive and pleasant in each one. Light = good, positive, and pleasant, which can be harnessed for the benefit of driving away the darkness, socially understood to be negative and unwanted. Aims Providing the opportunity for each student to involve others in his unique light. Examining the differences between students as is reflected in their unique lights. Heightening the awareness of the responsibility each person and his fellow have to act to reveal their light in public. Suggesting ways of enlisting the students light for the benefit of achieving group aims. Model of operation A process to detect each student s unique light through creation of personality business cards. Classroom Conversation The room is dark, eyes are closed. Listen to the following text: 6

Everyone must understand, that a candle burns within him, And his candle is not like his fellow s candle And there is no one who doesn t have a candle. And everyone must understand That he must toil and reveal His candle s light in public And join it into a giant torch And light up the entire world. Imagine the candle burning within you. Remember a situation/ time when you revealed the candle burning within you in public (in a group, class, school, family). Focus on the light the candle spreads: What does it look like? What colors does it contain? Who or what does it light up? What feelings does the light awaken in you? How do others around you react to it? (What do they feel? What do they say? What do they do?) Open your eyes and share the unique light which the candle burning within you disseminates, with the others in the circle: What is the light? On what occasions/ times do you spread this light? Who benefits from it? In groups Reading the text Together we will drive away the darkness Together we will drive away the darkness, Light and fire lies within us. When seeing the dark we will all group And strengthen the frightened in our troop. Encouraging and drawing close, giving with all our heart Supporting with the smile we impart And with the strength of being one we will illuminate the vastness. 7

Discuss: Together we will drive away the darkness guess which darkness they want to drive away (you can bring examples of negative behavior and sayings) How do we intend to drive away the darkness? Suggest further ways to drive away the darkness you mentioned. (At this point the torch arrives, and the children write ways to dispel the darkness.) Classroom Conversation Presenting the torches and the darkness by group representatives and incorporating them in the Many lights drive away the darkness corner. Each child prepares a personal business card which will help a fellow pupil reveal in public his unique light. Guidelines for preparing the business card Identify your light Write a short title to express your unique light (Example: Expert in. Dr. Champion in. etc.) Describe your unique light in two or three sentences Put effort into designing the card and the elements you include in it: i.e. picture, illustrated title. Quote/ phrase which describes your unique light. 8

Ma ayanot, Matte Asher Lesson planed by: Amir Eisenberger and Idit Fuchs Accessories: Candles equal to number of participants Large bowl full of sand Sheets of paper equal to number of participants (page design as desired by facilitator) 1. The activity begins with a lottery for all the children to pair them up. This can be done in various ways, such as pulling the pupils names out of a large dreidel. 2. Each participant is given a piece of paper, on which he writes I will light the candle in (name of a participant). The participant writes the good characteristics of his partner which are his light, or a wish that his life will be lit up 3. You can prepare identical cards and decorate them beautifully with a Chanukah theme. 4. All participants stand in a circle. There is a bowl full of sand in the center. Each participant holds the card he prepared and an unlit candle. The first one lights his candle (if possible) and reads what he wrote. After he has finished reading, he gives the card to the child about, and to whom, he wrote, and lights his candle with his own candle. He then places his lit candle into the bowl of sand, and the participant who had his candle lit does the same thing. 5. In the end there is a circle of participants standing around a bowl with all the lit candles. The children can sing a Chanukah song connected to candles My Tiny Candles, My Candle 6. At the end of the activity, distribute Chanukah tops full of chocolate coins to the class. These could be dreidels bought by the Israeli schoolchildren for their friends in the communities abroad. The dreidel has the words a great miracle happened here written on its sides, which is different from those outside Israel. 9

The Gordon School: For Tourism and Environmental Enterprises, Akko Lesson planed by: Rikki Cohen and Meirav Yavin Activity for Sunday school meeting The activity begins with a short presentation of a passage taken from Chana Zelda and Rabbi Kalman. It is presented humorously with music, accompanied by the song (can be found on UTube) Create colorful handicrafts workshop, with the children preparing Chanukah symbols with colored tissue paper which can be hung later in windows (stained glass effect.). Activity for Day school meeting Play pass the parcel. The pupils sit in a large circle and pass around a large cube, with Hebrew letters representing words on the topic of Chanukah stuck to it with Velcro. A Chanukah song plays in the background, and when the music stops, the children stop passing the cube. The child who has the cube thinks of a word beginning with one of the letters and says it (help him if needed ). The object is to present the Chanukah symbols and the accompanying activity which start with that letter. (i.e. lighting candles, singing a song, preparing pancakes or donuts, playing with a dreidel, ). Place a picture of each symbol on the chalkboard, together with the word in both Hebrew and English. After the game have a craft session, preparing templates of Chanukah symbols decorated with beads and colored sponges, on skewers. At the end of the meeting, each child will receive a sweet treat, sent by their friends in Israel. 10

Gvanim School, Matte Asher Lesson planed by: Iris Altit and Niva Shohat Chanukah the Menorah and the motif of light Target population: 5 th 6 th graders at Gvanim School and in Ohio Lesson topic: The motif of light introducing myself and my environment through the light within me and my environment. The Chanukah menorah as symbol of beauty in being different, and the strength of unity. Everyone is a small light, and together we re a strong light [popular Israeli children s Chanukah song] Lesson aims: Getting to know a new side of the Chanukah story. Becoming familiar with various menorahs from different Jewish communities. Finding the expression of light in the pupil s life: the light within me, the light within my family, the light in my country etc. Drawing a personal menorah design, which expresses the light, the pupil s strong points. Creating a meaningful, experiential, and creative dialogue using the menorah, with the Lesson: children in Israel Introduction: Light a candle in the menorahs the pupils previously brought from their homes. (In Ohio we will light a candle in the menorah created by the Gvanim pupils for their Ohio contemporaries, comprised of 9 figures representing Israeli society: religious, kibbutznik, child, soldier, Arab, Druze, grandfather, ultra-orthodox). 11

Show a presentation telling the story of Chanukah. While watching, write how Chanukah is marked today. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3vfchlaads8&feature=related Classroom conversation: Let s remember the time when the candles are alight, when our menorah is burning, what do we feel? The menorah what does it symbolize to us? Chanukah is also called the Festival of Lights. What does light symbolize? What is the light within me? What do I like doing, hobbies, what kind of things am I good and successful at? Arts and crafts: The children will design their own menorah. Half the menorah will be designed by the children in Israel, according to the following guidelines: First candle: Symbols of the festival and the State of Israel flag, menorah, driedel, oil jug Second candle: Family candle details about my family by drawing. Third candle: School candle what are we studying? What do I like learning best? etc. Fourth candle: The light within me what is special about me, what are my strengths? The shamash (middle candle which lights the others) divided into two: Each pupil, in Israel and the USA, will write his name in Hebrew and English and illustrate it. The children in the USA will design the second half of the menorah according to the same guidelines. The product a combined menorah, describing the connection between the children, what is common to both and different, and the light motif, as is expressed in each one. 12

To summarize: The Menorahs around the Globe presentation will be screened. http://www.chabad.org/kids/article_cdo/aid/442617/jewish/menorahs-around-the-globe.htm The pupils will explain their work to each other, so that they can get an impression of each picture separately and the totality creating the entire picture the picture of light. Each pupil will say a word connected with the work process or the pictures themselves, in turn. Pictures from the work process at Gvanim 6 th grade 13

Eshkol School, Akko Lesson planed by: Ahuva Lavi and Meirav Ben-Aruya Goals: Pupils will be exposed to Chanukah-related vocabulary Pupils will understand why Chanukah is also called the Festival of Lights Pupils will become familiar with the properties of olive oil Pupils will connect between olive oil s properties and its uses Pupils will draw conclusions about the properties of olive oil Pupils will personally experience the link to the Jewish people and its leaders, and to the Land of Israel A practical and content-based connection between the two schools in the Twinning Program Study and activities about Chanukah Pre-lesson preparation: There are two leafy and fruitful olive trees growing in the school in Akko. The fifth graders will harvest the olives, and photograph each stage of the process including explanations. The pictures will be mounted on a large poster, and the children, together with their English teacher, will write Chanukah greetings. The harvested olives will be brought to the USA (if possible) Part 1: The lesson will begin with a declaration: We have brought you a gift (olives from the harvest or a picture) and the pupils will have to guess what it is. We will show the photograph presentation with explanations. 14

We will discuss Chanukah and its names with the children. The children will note that Chanukah is also called the Festival of Lights, and we will focus on the topic of light. Why is Chanukah also called the Festival of Lights? How do we light our homes nowadays? How did they light up the Temple in the past? Why did they specifically use olive oil to light the Temple? (Olive oil was the main fuel in those times, because it was the most accessible). Part 2: During this section we will become familiar with olive oil and its properties. We will divide the pupils into groups of 4 each group will perform experiments with olive oil. Experiment 1: Take a jar or glass and fill with water. Add a drop of oil. Write down what happens. Experiment 2: Take a piece of cotton wool. Dip it in oil and smear it on paper. Lift up the paper to the light. Write down what you got. Experiment 3: Add a drop of water to the paper on which you smeared the oil. What happened? Add a drop of water onto another piece of paper. Write down what happened. 15

After the experiments, the teacher will conduct a demonstration about burning. The teacher will prepare cotton wool wicks. Dip them into various materials, such as: Water, milk, liquid soap, and olive oil. The children will notice that only the wick dipped in olive oil can burn for a long time. Discuss the conclusions from the experiments and demonstration. The pupils will learn that olive oil was used as the main and most important fuel source in Temple times for lighting the menorah, since it could burn for long periods of time and olives were very common and easily available in the Land of Israel. Part 3: As a concluding activity, and to also gain familiarity with olives as an edible fruit, prepare pickled olives with the children (if possible). 16

Rambam School, Akko Lesson Planed by: Sigalit Barzilai & Ariella Apt Hanukah: "I have a little dreidel" Multiple intelligence = musical & kinesthetic Materials: Overhead projector, CD's, paper, bottles, egg cartons, scissors, crayons, glue, stickers Objectives: Sing the dreidel song: I have a little dreidel I made it out of clay and when it s dry and ready Oh dreidel I shall play. Come up with different ways and materials to make a dreidel. Change the song stanza to match what they came up with. Make different dreidles out of different materials. What Why How Song Introducing the song through When the pupils enter the class: have the song playing and a picture of a driedel made out of clay on the black board. media Sing Fun Teach the song. Explain that clay = Brainstorm on Introduction What can you make a dreidel out of? different dreidels. Recognizing dreidels Implying what they suggested Tell the pupils: "You came up with different ideas. Let's see if you can recognize different dreidels. You will work in pairs. Look at the picture, guess, and use the word bank. Compare with your friends. Making dreiels kinesthetic Making a dreidel out of 2 CD s, a marble and stickers. 17

Weizmann Elementary School, Akko Lesson planed by: Yuta Muati and Anat Barbi The lesson begins sitting down in a circle, with each child receiving a Chanukah candle. Discussing Chanukah as the Festival of Lights, and the symbolic meaning of light in connection to Chanukah. Ask the question: What is my inner light? How can I spread light to my immediate environment? Each child lights his candle (if possible) from the central one in turn, and says what light he has within him. After going around the circle, when all the candles are alight, we sum up with the sentence, Each of us is a small candle, but together we are a strong light. Distribute the following text, and ask them to find 10 mistakes in it, some connected to the historical story of Chanukah, and some to the festival s customs and symbols. 18

Information About Chanukah There are 10 mistakes in the text. Find and correct them: The celebration of Chanukah begins on the 23 rd day of the month of Kislev and lasts for seven days. It usually occurs in September. The festival reminds us of the victory of Judah Maccabee over the Egyptians. In 168 B.C.E. the Temple was dedicated to the worship of the Jewish g-d Zeus by order of Antiochus. When Judah Maccabee recaptured the Temple three years later, he destroyed the statues and rededicated the Temple. To do this he needed to use pure oil. But there were only two small jars of pure oil. The oil lasted for ten days. This was the miracle of Chanukah. To remember this miracle we light a Chanukiah (menorah). On the first night we light eight candles and on the last night we light only one. We also eat food fried in oil. We eat potato chips. Correction: The celebration of Chanukkah begins on the 25 th day of the month of Kislev and lasts for eight days. It usually occurs in December. The festival reminds us of the victory of Judah Maccabee over the Greeks. In 168 B.C.E. the Temple was dedicated to the worship of the Greek g-d Zeus by order of Antiochus. When Judah Maccabee recaptured the Temple three years later, he destroyed the statues and rededicated the Temple. To do this he needed to use pure oil. But there was only 1 small jar of pure oil. The oil lasted for eight days. This was the miracle of Chanukah. To remember this miracle we light a Chanukiah. On the first night we light one candle and on the last night we light eight. We also eat food fried in oil. We eat potato pancakes (latkes). After the children have found the errors, they receive a checklist with the correct text, and check themselves. 19

End with a game: split into two groups, each group draws a question from the bag and must answer it. The questions are related to Chanukah. For example: How many candles do we light on all the days of Chanukah together? If we celebrate Chanukah for 8 days, why does the menorah have 9 branches? Another question we light candles on Chanukah. When else do we light candles in Judaism? When a group answers correctly it receives a task card, i.e. o Sing a Chanukah song while hopping on one foot. o Relate a miracle which happened to you or to someone you know. o Feed a friend a donut with your eyes closed. o Feed your friend a donut with your hands behind his back. o Build a human menorah from 9 classmates. o Count from 1-100, saying boom for every multiple of 8. 20