Chanukah Story/ Dramatic Play

Antiochus was a mean King and he didn't let the Jews choose how they wanted to pray and do Mitzvot.  He wanted to force them to be like him and the Syrian Greeks.

The Jewish people had to hide in caves in order to learn Torah and do Mitzvot.

When the Syrian Greek soldiers came they pretended that they were playing dreidel, so that they would not be punished.  They tricked them.

The Maccabees said that's not fair and they chased Antiochus away.  But Antiochus and his soldiers made a big mess in the special Holy Temple.  The Menorah and all the oil were thrown around and broken:(

The Maccabees helped clean up the temple and fix the Menorah.
They found one tiny jug of pure olive oil enough to last just one day.  The Cohen Gadol lit the Menorah and  Hashem made a miracle!!  It lasted for 8 days.  The Jewish people were so happy!!

We discussed that this happened many years ago.  We compared how we travel today and traveled back then.
Hannah: They traveled on horses.
Morah Mimi: What other animals helped them travel?
Hannah and Jordan: (Remembering from the book we read "Pini the Pitcher") Donkeys!
Morah Mimi:  Some people also traveled on camels.
We compared travel time in a car or plane to an animal riding and understood why it took so long to get new pure olive oil!

Throughout the next two weeks the children reenacted the story on their own during exploration time.
They set up a Chanukah table on their own.  Here Sammy,  Amanda, and Hannah take out the Shabbat candles as well and later hid them to light them away from the Greek soldiers. 

Here they add a Kiddush cup

Set up a cave to hide from the soldiers

Lighting the Menorah

Amanda, our Syrian Greek soldier

The children set up the scene and chose roles on their own to reenact the story yet again:)

Chana the Maccabbee to Sammy, King Antiochus: That's not fair!!

Aiden uses towel paper and then the cash register to hide the Torahs

Samantha builds a cave for the Jews to hide and play dreidel