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������̳ Teach > School Radio > Assemblies and Collective Worship
KS1 audio: Something to Think About / KS2 audio: Together

The Jewish festival of Chanukah (Hanukkah); its origins and significance in Jewish life today.

Before the programme

• Look at the chanukiah (a chanukiah is a special candleabra with 9 candle holders, which celebrates the ‘Miracle of the oil’ at the festival of Chanukah.
• Look at the light coming from the candles. Compare it to the diya lamp - the focus im- age for programme 6.
• How is the chanukiah different from other types of candle holders the children have seen?
• Count how many candles there are and talk about what they might represent.
• What other Jewish celebrations do children know about?
• What other festivals use candles as a part of their celebrations?

Programme content:

1. Opening: Ben welcomes the children and intro- duces the programme.
2. Voxpops: Children tell us about the Jewish festival of Chanukah
3. Song: ‘Shalom’ (Come and Praise, no 141). Encourage the children to join in with as much as they can.
4. Story: Talya’s Chanukah. An original story by Sherry Ashworth. Talya’s favourite festival is Chanukah, but this year it looks like it won’t happen for Talya. No one has tidied the house, Mum’s in hospital and Dad’s too busy to care. One by one the family members arrive and everyone brings something for the Chanukah celebrations. Finally Dad arrives home with Mum…and Talya’s new baby brother.
5. Reflection: On being grateful for festivals and sharing time with family and friends and appreciating peace. Ensure everyone is listening carefully.
6. Prayer: thanking God for the festival of Chanukah and the good things in our lives and asking him to help us work for peace. Children can listen or join in with ‘Amen’ at the end if they wish to make the prayer their own.

After the programme:

Talk about the story

• How do you think Talya felt when no one had started making plans for Chanukah?
• How do you think she felt when Grandma and Grandad and Auntie Rachel and Uncle Marc arrived, but no Mum and Dad?
• How do you think she felt when finally everyone was home and they had all the elements to celebrate Chanukah? And how do you think she felt when she saw her new baby brother?
• Can you remember why donuts are an essential part of the Chanukah celebrations?

Follow-up activities:

• Listen again to the vox pops section of the programme. Make a list of things that you’ve found out from what the children say about the festival of Chanukah. What would you enjoy the most?
• Study a picture of a Dreidel and try to make one in class. Find out what the symbols mean.
• What other festivals are there that use candles and light? What is light a symbol for in the Chanukah story?
• Do you remember why there are nine candles on the Chanukiah? You could have a go at making a Chanukiah in class.
• What other Jewish festivals to you know - eg Passover, Yom Kippur, Purim?