Font Resize"One, two. We make our three circles ," says Congregation Beth Shalom Preschool Teacher Carrie Plant. Plant along with her helper, little Shilynn, lead an enthusiastic group of 20 to 30 Joy Greisen Jewish Education Center preschoolers in their weekly Friday night Sabbath service called Shabbat.
Miss Carrie explains the three circles are made to bring peace into their hearts before they light the Shabbat candles. Most of the children also wear a unique flat cap called a yamika.
Beth Shalom Rabbi Michael Oblath explains, "Yamika, or kipa, is an object that is warn in the presence of God to show respect for God."
Shabbat is also welcomed by drinking red wine, or in the children's case grape juice, and eating the braided, sweet bread, challah.
"I like to symbolize as the interweavings of lives together so we can sort of take our understanding of our Jewish life and expand it into the rest of the world as well," Rabbi Oblath says.
The purpose of these Jewish customs is to say hello, or shalom, to a sweet, new week. The light shining on this particular Shabbat celebration includes a lesson about the holiday all these kids keenly know is coming.
"Raise your arms like a great big menorah. Chanukah!" Plant excitedly exclaims.
In unison the kids responded, raising their arms in a horizontal "C" to mimic the special nine-branched
"One for each of the eight days plus the one we call the shamus. That is used to light the other ones," Rabbi Oblath says. "Chanukah is celebration of a military victory over the Greeks about 2200 years ago."
2200 years ago Alexander The Great's successor, Antiochus IV, severely oppressed the Jewish people: outlawing Judaism, desecrating temples, even massacring Jews.
That is why Miss Carrie's preschooler's sing about, "Mac-a-mac-a-bee."
The Jewish leader Judah Maccabee helped lead a victorious revolt against Antiochus IV. When the war was over the destroyed temples were rededicated.
"The word dedication is Chanukkah in Hebrew," Rabbi Oblath says. "They rededicated it for the worship of the Israelite God at that time."
"Barukh atah Adonai, Eloheinu, melekh ha'olam." and the Chanukah candles Rabbi Oblath and Jews worldwide still light and say this prayer over to remember, " asher kidishanu b'mitz'votav v'tzivanu l'had'lik neir shel Chanukah." were originally lit and recited.
A couple of hundred years later, however, when the Romans were the religious oppressors, many Jewish people could not understand how a military victory had been achieved. That is when a miracle filled legend was born.
"So they developed the story on that's why the holiday is celebrated," Rabbi Oblath adds.
The legend goes like is: During the temples' re-dedication the Greeks had destroyed all but a day's worth of Menorah oil. That one-day supply ended up miraculously burning for eight days.
So the Jews could celebrate Chanukah without Roman questions they created the four sided spinning top game Dreidel. Miss Carrie's preschoolers also sing about the actual spinning with the line, "S'vivon, sov sov sov! S'vivon, sov sov sov!"
Rabbi Oblath explains the Drediel's four Hebrew letters, nun, gimel, hay and shin are symbolic, "Translates as 'nes gadol haya sham.' 'A great miracle happened there.' Referring to the victory over the Greeks or also referring to the story of the light."
Right before Miss Carrie and the children sang, "I Had A Little Dreidel," the JEC two-year-olds spun the tops as an introduction to the traditional game. It's usually played by a group of 4-6 children.
Each player gets an equal number of pennies, candies, traditional chocolate gold foil wrapped "gelt" coins, or whatever players wish to use.
While spinning, if the the dreidel lands on:
Nun- the player receives nothing, next player spins.
Gimel- the player takes all of the pot.
Hay- the player takes half of the pot.
Shin- the player puts a playing piece into the pot.
Each time the pot is emptied, each player puts in a playing piece and the game continues.
As Miss Carrie's Shabbat service concluded with the children singing a Chanukah "Hallelujah," Rabbi Oblath said, "I hope everyone has a wonderful holiday no matter what holiday they're observing."
Chanukah falls on a different secular calendar date every year, because the Jewish calendar is based on the moon's cycle. This year the eight night's are celebrated Dec. 11-18.
The secular calendar is based on the sun's cycle, which is 11 days shorter than the Hebrew calendar. Every three years the Jewish calendar is readjusted by adding a thirteenth month.
