משחק–Create a New Game

Create a new game for Chanukah. We all love dreidle, but we need new games as well. As a family create a new game that is Jewish and fun that your family can play each year. We will ask you to share your invented game with us, so we can put together a collection of new Chanukah games for our community.

ישראל–Israel

Israel is a central part of modern Judaism. We are deeply connected to our Homeland. But do we know what is happening there all the time? On this last night of Chanukah we will examine the שם/Sham, “there,” from the “Great Miracle Happened There,” on our dreidles. We will send you some articles from the daily news in Israel for your family to read together and gain a deeper sense of our Homeland.

checkout websites like:

http://www.jpost.com

http://www.haaretz.com

http://www.israelnationalnews.com

http://www.ynetnews.com

http://www.jta.org

צדקה–Justice

It is better to give than to receive and on this holiday when so many of us receive so much it is all the better to remember for one night that we too can give. On this night nobody in the house receives gifts, but gifts will be given… Choose any charity and donate the money that would have been spent on all of the gifts for that night and donate the money to that charity. You could also participate in one of the many needy children’s gift donation programs.

מרשם משפחתי–Family Recipe

We connect with our tradition in many ways. One of the most beloved of ways is through our stomachs. On this night choose a family recipe (one that your grandmother used to make) and make that delicious dish together as a family for dinner.

סרט יהודי–Jewish Movie Night

Jewish movie night. Pick out your favorite Jewish movie or one your family has never seen before and pop some popcorn to watch the movie together.

שבת–Celebrate Shabbat

Its שבת/Shabbat, celebrate Chanukah and Shabbat together this evening, be sure to light your Chanukah candles before your Shabbat ones. Then enjoy a traditional Shabbat dinner together.

הכנסת אורחים–Hospitality

Invite another family over to your house this night and practice the מצוה/Mitzvah, commandment, of הכנסת אורחים/Hachnasat Orchim, welcoming guests.

מזוזה - Mezuzah

Tonight hold a real rededication of your house through purchasing a new מזוזה/Mezuzah for any doorway or gateway in your house and affix it with the ברכה/Berachah, blessing, on this evening.

Blessed are You, Lord our God, King of the universe, who has sanctified us with His commandments, and commanded us to place the Mezuzah.

חג אורים שמח–Happy Chanukah 5771

Here is the much spoken about Chanukat HaBayit blog site:

After this initial post you will find eight additional posts.  I have assigned a “night” to each of the cards, but you can do them in any order you choose.  Please post a reply to each night’s activity after your family has completed it, so that we can share…  Thanks again and Chag Sameach.

It’s Chanukah 5771, and we are so excited to be able to introduce our new program for our community.  This year we are offering you and your family the opportunity to give Chanukah a little more meaning.  The word Chanukah means dedication.  We call this holiday Chanukah because it commemorates the rededication of the Temple in Jerusalem. This year we can all rededicate our modern day “Temples,” our homes, to our religion and our people. We are asking you to use the enclosed cards to enrich your celebration of Chanukah with a nightly mitzvah or tradition.

Here’s How:

1. On the day before the first candle is lit, as a family, choose an activity card for the first night of Chanukah.
   
2. On each subsequent night choose the next night’s card (some of the cards need to be pre-selected, like Shabbat)
   
3. On each night of Chanukah, after you have lit the Chanukiya and sung some songs, as a family perform that night’s designated activity. (Remember to then draw the card for the next evening.)
   
4. Please post on Rabbi Hearshen’s blog: http://ravhearshen.blogspot.com, your experiences as a family. There will be a space for each night’s review.
   
5. Enjoy this experience and keep an open mind...

 

And now for the cards: (Note: these are a reproduction of the actual cards that were handed out, they do not look exactly as they did when handed out.)

	Tonight hold a real rededication of your house through purchasing a new מזוזה/Mezuzah for any doorway or gateway in your house and affix it with the ברכה/Berachah, blessing, on this evening.
	Invite another family over to your house this night and practice the מצוה/Mitzvah, commandment, of הכנסת אורחים/Hachnasat Orchim, welcoming guests.
	Jewish movie night. Pick out your favorite Jewish movie or one your family has never seen before and pop some popcorn to watch the movie together.
	Its שבת/Shabbat, celebrate Chanukah and Shabbat together this evening, be sure to light your Chanukah candles before your Shabbat ones. Then enjoy a traditional Shabbat dinner together.
	We connect with our tradition in many ways. One of the most beloved of ways is through our stomachs. On this night choose a family recipe (one that your grandmother used to make) and make that delicious dish together as a family for dinner.
	It is better to give than to receive and on this holiday when so many of us receive so much it is all the better to remember for one night that we too can give. On this night nobody in the house receives gifts, but gifts will be given… Choose any charity and donate the money that would have been spent on all of the gifts for that night and donate the money to that charity. You could also participate in one of the many needy children’s gift donation programs.
	Israel is a central part of modern Judaism. We are deeply connected to our Homeland. But do we know what is happening there all the time? On this last night of Chanukah we will examine the שם/Sham, “there,” from the “Great Miracle Happened There,” on our dreidles. We will send you some articles from the daily news in Israel for your family to read together and gain a deeper sense of our Homeland.
	Create a new game for Chanukah. We all love dreidle, but we need new games as well. As a family create a new game that is Jewish and fun that your family can play each year. We will ask you to share your invented game with us, so we can put together a collection of new Chanukah games for our community.

 

 

Where do we go from here?

After this initial post you will find eight additional posts.  I have assigned a “night” to each of the cards, but you can do them in any order you choose.  Please post a reply to each night’s activity after your family has completed it, so that we can share…  Thanks again and Chag Sameach.