Year 4 had a fantastic workshop with the Jewish Museum, where we explored the Jewish festival of Hanukkah, also known as the Festival of Lights.
The children had the wonderful opportunity to handle real-life artefacts used during the celebrations, including a Menorah, a Hanukkiah and a dreidel (a spinning top game). Our lovely visitor explained the significance of these objects and why they are so important to Jewish people when celebrating Hanukkah.
We also learnt about the story of how Hanukkah began, which was retold by our visitor. Long ago, King Antiochus tried to stop Jewish people from practising their religion. After fighting to regain their freedom, the Jewish people returned to their Temple in Jerusalem, where they wanted to light the sacred lamp. However, they could only find enough oil to keep it burning for one day. Miraculously, the oil lasted for eight days, giving them enough time to prepare more. This is why Hanukkah is celebrated over eight nights, with a candle being lit on the Hanukkiah each evening.
As well as this, we discovered some of the traditional foods eaten during the festival and the different ways Jewish families celebrate. This included lighting the Hanukkiah each evening and playing the traditional dreidel game.
The children were full of interesting questions and showed fantastic curiosity and enthusiasm throughout the session. To finish, they had the chance to play the dreidel game themselves and see a Hanukkiah with all eight candles lit!
A wonderful, hands-on opportunity to deepen our understanding of Jewish traditions and the significance of Hanukkah.