Printable Hebrew Activity Pages for Chanukah 2012

Chanukiah for 6th night

Happy Chanukah! My neighbor Bruria prepared Hebrew printable activity page for kids, at a first to second grade Hebrew reading level.  Each sheet starts off with a chapter of Tehillim (Psalms) and a list of names of sick friends. Bruria gives permission to share, as long as you keep all of the text. I'll be uploading more sheets during the week as I get them. Links for downloading printable Chanukah activity pages Night 1: Hilchot Chanukah (laws of candlelighting) Hilchot Chanukah--solution Night 2: Al Hanisim (Chanukah prayer) Al Hanisim--solution Night 3: Maoz Tzur (Rock of Ages) Maoz Tzur--solution Night 4: Hallel Hallel-solution Night … [Read more...]

Eight Things to Do with Your Kids on Chanukah

A Maccabee from fimo

You may not have noticed, but Chanukah vacation is a day longer this year. We're scheduled to have the day "returned" at the end of August, along with four other days. Passover vacation will start a day earlier too. So what are you supposed to do with the kids during the week? I'll include some indoor and outdoor suggestions. The weather is pleasant, but it gets dark early. You will find loads of festivals and activities for kids, especially small ones, at your local mall. They tend to be crowded, and nothing is really free--once you are in the mall you may find it hard to leave without buying anything. But this one is sponsored by the Israel Antiquities Authority and will have events … [Read more...]

Planning Your Family Chanukah Party

8 Chanukah lights for your family party

Chanukah this year falls on Tuesday evening, December 20 through Wednesday, December 28. Please welcome Miryam Elisheva Segal for today's guest post.   My “family” Chanukah parties have taken many shapes over the years. Some were successes, some not, but we always had fun along the way. In this post I'll tell you what I've learned and how to make a Chanukah party your family and friends will remember in years to come. Planning: First , you need to figure out who you’re going to invite, if you have enough room, and whether all those people can get along. We’re a blended family, so over the years we’ve had all sorts of different “family” members join us. My … [Read more...]

Eight Things About Chanukah

remains of Jewish town of Adulam, Second Temple period (yr. 100)

Eight unrelated things about our Chanukah so far: Two of my teens went to the Bible Contest for adults, while the rest of us listened on the radio. My husband didn't like the fact that the answers assumed that King Solomon wrote all of Mishlei (Proverbs), when the verse in question (30:8) is part of a chapter headed by, "The words of Agur ben Yakeh."  The speeches went on too long and they had to run through the contest questions so fast that neither I, who wanted to tweet some, nor Jameel, who live-blogged the progress of the contest, could get much down. Since the TV station had another program scheduled, the contest took a break while the broadcast moved to another channel. The Emmys … [Read more...]

Whatever Floats Your Wick: Chanukah Translation Confusion

english instructions call for a third of wick on top

We use floating wicks to light our Chanukah menorahs. Made of thin cork with aluminum foil glued on one side, they come with stiff wicks that get threaded through a hole in the stopper. We always run out of wicks before stoppers. But I digress. Some stoppers are round and some are hexagonal. You put water and oil into the glass cup, place the wick and thread on top, and fit the cup into your Chanukah menorah. We noticed that our flame was too small and kept going out, so we checked the instructions. You'd think that instructions for wicks, which are a pretty simple tool, would be uncomplicated. You'd be wrong. The first two pictures are from one brand of wicks, the last two from … [Read more...]

Fun and Frugal Family Games for Your Chanukah Party

Candles for the second night of Chanukah, in a menorah.

My family hosts the annual Chanukah party for my husband’s siblings and their children. Aside from frantically cleaning the house, I’m planning a short program. Almost everyone likes to play games, and they are a fun way to get to know my nieces and nephews. It’s not so easy to find a good party game, because I have a few important requirements: No more than a half hour of preparation before the party, and no expensive equipment. Easy entry—i.e. simple rules that even children can understand. Multi-level. Children should be able to compete at a similar level to adults. Simultaneous participation. Everyone should something to do at all times, or have some action to … [Read more...]

Easy and Inspiring Chanukah Craft Ideas

felt craft donut

Please welcome Mara of Kosher on a Budget for today’s guest post. Her post on Sukkah decorations was extremely popular and I’m happy to have her back. Can you believe that Chanukah is less than two weeks away? It seems as though we just took down our sukkah and packed away all those decorations! Tonight, my kids and I officially kicked off the start of the “Chanukah season” by digging out the Rubbermaid tub of Chanukah paraphernalia. The buffet in our dining room is now adorned with no fewer than nine chanukiot (chanukah menorahs) (yes, we saved every one they made in preschool!) plus numerous s’vivonim (dreidels)– both the Israeli ones with a pey and the American ones with … [Read more...]

Why I Don’t Like Sufganiyot

Bloggers, like all writers, can't always choose their subject. Sometimes a subject chooses you. So while I would prefer to write a light, meaningful or amusing post in honor of Chanukah,  you will be reading (if you dare) about a rather heavy subject. I'm talking about Sufganiyot, the traditional jelly doughnut with its loose connection to the Chanukah miracle, because doughnuts are fried in oil . Bakeries begin offering them about 6 weeks before the holiday and continue until close to Purim about two months afterward. I haven't had a single sufganiyah this year, and not (mainly) because I am afraid of the 600 or so calories they each contain. I just don't like them. Lest you think … [Read more...]

Brother-in-law quoted in WSJ and a family party game

My brother-in-law wrote his report about our annual Chanukah party here. He has to be nice, because he knows I read his blog. (I even send him the occasional unsolicited suggestion.) It was my idea to blog about the dancing on the side of the road.Aaron was quoted today in the Wall Street Journal, in an article on poems about the economic downturn:Wall Street bards are also writing about the economy's victims. Aaron Katsman, a financial adviser, saw a panhandler on the New York City subway and penned "What's a Dime?" a four-stanza poem about the encounter: He's probably just down on his luck,What's wrong if I give him a buck?I'd help out a friend who is stuck,Perhaps he won't see me when I … [Read more...]

Hanging Stockings–an American Chanukah Custom?

From the Motherlode blog at the New York Times, on Jewish couples who have conflicts about holiday customs similar to those of intermarried couples:I heard recently from Tami Kamin-Meyer, a lawyer with two sons, ages 10 and 14, living in Columbus, OH. “Both my husband of nearly 16 years and I are Jewish,” she wrote in an e-mail. “But his brand of Judaism is far more American than mine. My family is Israeli, and while I am a first generation American, my celebration of Jewish holidays, including traditions and attitudes, are closely aligned with Israeli customs rather than American.” When their first child was born, her husband wanted to hang stockings in the living room, but she did … [Read more...]