Chanukah is Coming!
In our classrooms Third Grade students reenacted the story of Chanukah and are learning about the history of this Jewish holiday through our Tal Am program, classroom activities, library books and videos. Students led Chanukah games, art projects, reading passages and writing prompts are included among the Chanukah activities.
This week, our Third Grade students had the opportunity to participate in an Olive Oil Press Program. This was an amazing hands-on workshop for the students to get into the spirit of Chanukah. Students were introduced to the actual production of olive oil, used in a Chanukiah. Using an array of modern and ancient instruments to recreate this process, students met Judah the Maccabee, picked fresh olives and squeezed them with a hand press. They strained the juice and spun it in a centrifuge that separates the pure oil. Concepts like the reason for using olive oil in modern day Chanukiyot and the proper lighting of the Chanukiah were discussed and demonstrated.
The energy was felt by all through singing, role playing and assembling a beautiful Chanukiah."We can't promise the oil will burn for eight days, but the memories are sure to last a lifetime."
