Name: Thrive! NCHE Homeschool Conference
Start: 2025-05-22T00:00:00-05:00
End: 2025-05-24T23:59:59-05:00
Location: Winston-Salem, NC

This topic has 17 replies, 5 voices, and was last updated 13 years, 4 months ago by Rachel White.

Viewing 15 posts - 1 through 15 (of 18 total)

1 2 →

Author
Posts
December 20, 2011 at 4:14 pm
chocodog
Participant
Is anyone celebrating tonight? If so what are you doing for the celebration?
December 20, 2011 at 5:35 pm
thepinkballerina
Participant
Yes! We play dreidel, make potato latkes, applesauce (later in the week jelly donuts), sing songs, watch The Animated hero Classics Maccabees The Story of Hanukkuh and read hanukkah books (all from libarary) and open a gift each night from grandparents who celebrate xmas (to which we don’t but they still like to give them something). Also we do light a mini menorah and read scriptures about Jesus being the Light of the world.

I’d like to hear others ideas!
Tara
December 20, 2011 at 7:22 pm
Bookworm
Participant
We are trying this year. We are doing it in a very relaxed way, though, just learning a bit about it. We have our little homemade menorah, we are in process of making a “droid-el” (Sigh—I made the mistake of delegating finding a dreidel pattern to a teen boy) and I have small token gifts and a telling of the story and “light” scriptures also lined up. I don’t have planned to try any recipes yet, since most of my family does not like donuts, we almost never fry anything, and I had a friend with bad memories of making latkes (she caught the kitchen on fire once.) LOL
December 20, 2011 at 8:10 pm
Rachel White
Participant
Yes, we celebrate the eight days of Dedication. In addition to lighting the menorah, gifts are exchanged; small ones and not always all eight nights; depends on the budget. We have books, music (singing Rock of Ages) and dreidals to enjoy all week. There’s some fun videos here: http://www.chabad.org/holidays/chanukah/default_cdo/jewish/Hanukkah.htm
Here’s one of my favorites; it’s a Chanuka song by Messianic Jewish singer Marty Goetz-his voice is so beautiful and so is the song-you’ve got to hear it:http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xiZkfQN7ps0
and a fun one by Matisyahu “Miracle”; the video is fun, but try to listen to the words (it took me about 4 times to understand it!):http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Gv-7WdpB72o
Our tradition on the first night is Apricot chicken, latkes w/sour cream and/or applesauce, and a green. During the week I always make something w/oil, fried or not. I’ll make donuts (not jelly filled though) and fried apple pies; chocolate cake, vege fritters, salmon patties, etc. Then we have a Chanukah party on Sat. night at our synagogue.
I read John 10 this morning and we also enjoy reading many Scriptures that enhance the Festival of Lights. Here’s a free booklet with blessings nad Scriptures from Tim Hegg.
I try to keep it simple.
Chanukah Sameach! (Happy Hanukkah!)
Rachel
December 20, 2011 at 8:35 pm
Bookworm
Participant
Thank you Rachel!!!! I was hoping you’d be able to weigh in! Rushing off to watch videos to add to our experience tonight.
December 20, 2011 at 9:43 pm
Rachel White
Participant
You’re so welcome-I”m glad I could chime in. Here’s some historical offerings to savor this week:
http://www.history.com/topics/hanukkah
MACCABEES 1 http://www.earlyjewishwritings.com/1maccabees.html
MACCABEES 2 http://www.earlyjewishwritings.com/2maccabees.html
JOSEPHUS’ ACCOUNT http://www.ccel.org/ccel/josephus/works/files/war-1.htm

December 21, 2011 at 12:59 pm
chocodog
Participant
Thanks Rachel! I can’t wait to go look all of this up! How do you make fried apple pie? It sounds yummy! You are so lucky to have a Synagogue by you! We are not near any where I live. How do you find out the closest Synagogue near you? We have traveled and I have wanted to look one up but I couldn’t find any. Not even in the phone book or online.
Bookworm- Your funny! I did try do do my latkes again this year. My son informed me that they were better this year. I think the grease was enough for my gull bladder so I can understand what you mean. Today the kids want french toast so I thought I might try stuffing it and fry it. Not sure about stuffing it yet? I know French Toast isn’t traditional but I thought I would make donuts most of the day. My one son can’t have yeast so I am thinking maybe some sort of cake donut for him.   My friend has a really good salmon pattie recipe maybe I will ask her for it. Does anyone else have food ideas?
How about the lighting of the candles? Do you let them burn or do you blow them out after the ceremonial lighting and readings? I would like to leave them lit but mine are small and it might be a miracle if they last 8 days!
We just do the traditional lighting and reading and Bible verse. My husband read from Maccabees last year. I think I will have him break it up this year. We have the “Hebrew Holidays” book this year so I feel a little more confident. We are so excited to be able to celebrate this holy day. We are making wonderful memories. They are telling me what they liked about last year. I am surprised that they remembered it so well. I think we will have a Maccabees play. They are into putting on little skits. This might be a good time for them to act it out. I am wondering if there is a skit out there on the Maccabess?
Thanks everyone for telling us about everything you do!   I hope I hear more….
                              Happy Hanukka! (Chanukah Sameach)

December 21, 2011 at 2:04 pm
Rachel White
Participant
For the candles, remember the special way to put them in and the special way to light them. If you don’t know the reason for the tradition behind the order of putting them in and lighting them and why; it was a compromise between Hillel and Shammai-just before Y’shua’s time on earth, and it makes sense (we discussed it here and agree w/Hillel!). Look it up!
In specific answer to your question: the general “rule” is that the lights/candles should burn for a half-hour, longer on Shabbat; it is one of those traditions that you may or may not observe, however, it isn’t burdensome and Hanukkah candles are generally designed to stay lit for 30 min. anyway; the point is to observe and enjoy the lights, playing dreidal, opening presents, no housework, read a book, etc, in order to honor G-d and savor the lights in the darkness.
We just let ours burn down every night; ours are the skinny ones from Manischewitz that come 44 to a box.
I’d like to share a Chanuka toy set from KidKraft that is a wonderful tool for little ones to use-if you don’t want to pull together your own for them to play with- if you don’t want them handling fire and they can practice the blessings and songs with it. My son loves his (and he’s 11!) There’s also a Shabbat one for the little ladies to practice with before they get their own candle to light after age 12 as well as some others. They are pricey (gotta price shop), but long-lasting; we got ours years ago and they can pass them down to their children. Here’s some to see: http://www.woodentoddlertoys.com/chtoandgi1.html
I think french toast sounds great! Sounds like their own Maccabee skit will be great! My children did that when they were younger, too. I did a sprouted grain donut last year, but didn’t get around to sprouting this year, so here’s the donut recipe I’ll be using:http://heavenlyhomemakers.com/healthy-treat-for-today-whole-wheat-donuts
We’ve been at our Messianic Synagogue for 10 years; I drive 72 miles to get there weekly, so it still takes 1 1/4 hours. What state are you in? I’ll see what I can find. I’m taking it easy today!
Shalom,
Rachel
December 21, 2011 at 2:17 pm
Rachel White
Participant
Hanukkah recipes (fried apple pies, ,scroll down on right): http://www.finecooking.com/recipes/Hanukkah/53256.aspx
There’s also recipes at the Chabad site.
Rachel
December 21, 2011 at 3:21 pm
Rachel White
Participant
More Hanukkah fun! There are two videos by an a cappella group called the Maccabeats; a redo of “Miracle” and then “Candlelight” on the right-really good.
http://www.maccabeats.com/
Rachel

December 21, 2011 at 5:19 pm
thepinkballerina
Participant
I make this Easy Jelly Doughnut recipe that doesn’t call for yeast:
http://www.chabad.org/library/article_cdo/aid/776833/jewish/Easy-Jelly-Doughnuts.htm

HTH!
Tara
December 22, 2011 at 7:59 am
chocodog
Participant
What wonderful recipes. I can do some more tomorrow too. :0 Thanks. What great Ideas
December 22, 2011 at 1:04 pm
Misty
Participant
Just wanted to post that though we dont’ celebrate this it has been fun reading how others celebrate the season in there faith. So tell me what are latkes, and donuts, and the other foods meanings?
This would be a great way to teach my children about how others celebrate this time of year. Hope you don’t mind me asking questions. Misty
December 22, 2011 at 2:58 pm
thepinkballerina
Participant
Potato latkes are potato pancakes: Grated potatoes and onion with egg, salt, baking soda and flour. Then fried in oil (I use olive oil) til crisp and oh so good dipped in sour cream or homemade applesauce! The Jews fry foods in oil because of the miracle of the oil: there was only enough oil for one day but the menorah burned for 8 nights until they could get more oil. I’m not sure on the history of why they chose donuts, potato latkes, etc except for the frying part. There are lots of good children’s books on Hanukkah that explain the history of the Feast of Dedication (found in John 10:22 when Jesus went into the temple that day in the winter).

Tara
December 23, 2011 at 1:40 am
Rachel White
Participant
Yes, like Tara said, the idea is frying in oil to remember the Miracle of the oil. The types of customs regarding the foods that are fried stems from either the Ashkenazi Jews from Eastern Europe or the Sephardi from the Mediterranean. Each Jewish community used the foods available to them at the time and location.
The latkes(Yiddish) come from Eastern European Jewry. Potatoes were the easiest to come by in the cold winters of Eastern Europe and Russia, plus they wouldn’t have used olive oil like their Sephardi relatives; but duck fat or beef fat.
The puffed pastries from the Sephardi. The Sephardi also have dairy as a custom since the Middle Ages in remembrance and celebration of bravery (and cheese!) from the legend of Judith: http://www.myjewishlearning.com/holidays/Jewish_Holidays/Hanukkah/Themes_and_Theology/Women_Role_Models.shtml
I like to save our use of dairy until Shavuot (Feast of Weeks), for the exception of the sour cream on the latkas!
Of course, one can combine any of the foods, whether your descended from either Community or not; as long as you know why you’re doing what you’re doing. I have a Sephardi friend from Spain who always brings a uniquely different food to our Festival observances; since the majority of our Congregation has Eastern European background.
Thanks for asking Misty!
Rachel