From Colegio Olamí
Interviews with students
QUESTIONS:
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What do you do for Hanukkah?
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What dishes do you cook?
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Do you celebrate each day of Hanukkah?
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What does Hanukkah mean to you?
From Milken
This year, Christmas and Hanukkah overlap. Below is a set of images. Choose one of the images and briefly talk about what it means to you. How do you feel about the image? How do you relate to it?
Which of these items would you wear or use?
How do you relate to the images to the right?
Text Study:
Maimonides, Mishneh Torah, Hilchot Chanukah Ch. 4:5, 7-8
שֶׁתִּשְׁקַע הַחַמָּה אֶלָּא עִם שְׁקִיעָתָהּ לֹא מְאַחֲרִין וְלֹא מַקְדִּימִין. שָׁכַח אוֹ הֵזִיד וְלֹא הִדְלִיק עִם שְׁקִיעַת הַחַמָּה מַדְלִיק וְהוֹלֵךְ עַד שֶׁתִּכְלֶה רֶגֶל מִן הַשּׁוּק
נֵר חֲנֻכָּה מִצְוָה לְהַנִּיחוֹ עַל פֶּתַח
בֵּיתוֹ מִבַּחוּץ בַּטֶּפַח הַסָּמוּךְ לַפֶּתַח עַל שְׂמֹאל הַנִּכְנָס לַבַּיִת כְּדֵי שֶׁתִּהְיֶה מְזוּזָה מִיָּמִין וְנֵר חֲנֻכָּה מִשְּׂמֹאל
בִּימֵי הַסַּכָּנָה מַנִּיחַ אָדָם נֵר חֲנֻכָּה בְּתוֹךְ בֵּיתוֹ מִבִּפְנִים וַאֲפִלּוּ הִנִּיחוֹ עַל שֻׁלְחָנוֹ דַּיּוֹ
Chanukah lamps must be lit at sunset—neither later nor earlier. If one forgets or deliberately fails to light the lamp at sunset, he may light it up to the time when people cease to walk about in the street.
One should place the Chanukah lamp over the door of his house, on the outside… the Mezuzah being on the right and the Chanukkah lamp being on the left.
In times of danger, one may place the Chanukah lamp inside the house—it is even enough to place it on the table.
Discussion questions:
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Why is Maimonides saying to light the Chanukiah so others can see it?
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Who does he want to see the Chanukiah?
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What is the point of lighting Chanukah candles in the public space?
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Should Jews light Chanukiot in the public space? Why/not?
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Would you be proud or scared to light your Chanukiah in a public space?
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Would you place your Chanukiah in front of your house? In the window? In your college dorm room?
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What should Jews be advertising to others about Judaism?
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Which Jewish practices or ideas would you want to share with others–Jews or non-Jews?