Holidays and festivals are unforgettable moments in time. They are among our sweetest childhood memories, tending to linger long after most other reminiscences have faded. Even when children are too young to comprehend the significance of a particular festival, the warmth of family, friends, and fellow Jews celebrating together carries its own enduring message.
Festivals have been "the common ground upon which countless generations of Jews have met." * Little wonder that, irrespective of the ideological orientation of a Jewish religious school, they constitute the staple of its Jewish educational diet. For not only do these joyous and solemn occasions give rise to vivid and lasting impressions which make for pleasurable associations with Judaism, they serve as natural introductions to Jewish beliefs, Jewish history, and the Jewish personalities of the past. Moreover, their lessons and values are learned relatively effortlessly.
Because the Jewish festivals have played a major role in the preservation of our people and its way of life, children are never too young to he exposed to them. Nor is it ever too early for children to be introduced to their Hebrew nomenclature. From the beginning, it should be "Shabbat" or "Shabbos," not "the Sabbath;" "Rosh Hashanah" not the "Jewish New Year;" and "Pesah" not "Passover." The value of these distinctions is more than semantic. It goes to the very heart of the preservation of the Jewish sense of self.
The material listed earlier under "Resources" should enable the uninitiated to become familiar not only with the Hebrew names of the holidays but with their history, meaning, and rituals. For those seeking specialized treatment of specific festivals, the following additional works are suggested:
The seventh day of every week of the year, the Sabbath commemorates the last day of creation. Despite its frequency, it is regarded as the most important Jewish holiday next to Yom Kippur (the Day of Atonement). It is a day of joy, family togetherness, worship, and rest from labor. It is marked by many meaningful home customs and observances.
A. Adult-level Material
Sabbath: The Day of Delight, by Abraham E. Millgram, Jewish Publication Society of America, Philadelphia, Pa.
B. Tiger Cub-level Material
The Secret of the Sabbath Fish, by Ben Aronin, J.P.S.
"Shabbat," in the Exploring Our Living Past series, Behrman House, a four-page activity booklet.
Shabbat Can Be, by Raymond Zwerin and Audrey M. Friedman, Union of American Hebrew Congregations, New York, N.Y.
Come Let Us Welcome Shabbat, by Judyth R. Saypol and Madeline Wikler, Kar-Ben Copies, Rockville, Md.
C. Suggested Activity Requirements
Learn one of the following songs:
"Shabbat Shalom"
"Eliyahu Ha-navi"
"The Sabbath Angel"
"Le-chah Dodi"
Recite or chant the Kiddush (the Shabbat blessing over wine).
Make candle holders out of clay, soap. wood, styrofoam balls, spools, or juice cans.
Make a spice container.
Learn the blessings over candles, wine, and hallah.
Make oil candles.
Make a Kiddush cup out of clay, plastic, or other material.
II. Rosh Hashanah
The Jewish New Year, Rosh Hashanah, ushers in a solemn 10-day period of repentance. Of particular appeal to young people are sounding the shofar during services, eating hallah and apple dipped in honey, and sending, as well as receiving, greeting cards. This holiday represents new beginnings, with which the young can readily identify.
A. Adult-level Material
Rosh Hashana Anthology, by Philip Goodman, Jewish Publication Society.
B. Tiger Cub-level Material
My Very Own Rosh Hashanah Book, by Judyth R. Saypol and Madeline Wikler, Kar-Ben Copies, Rockville, Md.
"The High Holy Days," in the Exploring Our Living Past series, Behrman House, a four-page activity booklet.
High Holy Days, by Audrey F. Marcus and Raymond Zwerin, Alternatives in Religious Education.
C. Suggested Activity Requirements
Make a New Year greeting card.
Make a mock shofar.
Eat an apple dipped in honey and recite a prayer for a sweet year.
Make a Jewish wall calendar.
Blow a "tekiah" sound on a shofar.
Learn to sing "Happy Birthday" in Hebrew.
Make a honey jar.
III. Yom Kippur
This long, 26-hour fast day climaxes the 10 days of atonement. Referred to in the Bible as Sabbath of Sabbaths, Yom Kippur is highlighted by synagogue services whose central themes are self-examination, forgiveness, and new beginnings.
A. Adult-level Material
Yom Kippur Anthology, by Philip Goodman, J.P.S.
B. Tigers Cub-level Material
My Very Own Yom Kippur Book, by Judyth R. Saypol and Madeline Wikler, Kar-Ben Copies, Rockville, Md.
Beryl the Tailor, a filmstrip, Torah Aura Productions.
C. Suggested Activity Requirements
Learn part of the melody for "Kol Nidrei."
Fast until noon the Day of Atonement.
Draw a tzedakah (charity) container.
Make a tzedakah container out of wood, cardboard, or a metal can.
Blow a "tekiah gedolah" sound on a shofar.
Make a holiday poster and write or draw a message on it.
IV. Sukkot
Coming at the end of ancient Israel's agricultural year, the Feast of Booths is Judaism's autumn festival, its "feast of ingathering." The 8-day holiday also commemorates the protection provided our ancestors during their 40 years of wandering in the wilderness following the exodus from Egypt.
A. Adult-level Material
Sukkot and Simhat Torah Anthology, by Philip Goodman, J.P.S.
B. Tiger Cub-level Material
The Sukkah and the Big Wind, by Lily Edelman, United Synagogue Commission on Jewish Education, New York, N.Y.
"Sukkot," in the Exploring Our Living Past series, Behrman House, a four-page activity booklet.
My Very Own Sukkot, by Judyth R. Saypol and Madeline Wikler, Kar Ben, Rockville, Md.
The Big Sukkah, by Peninah Schram, Kar-Ben Copies, Rockville. Md.
The House on the Roof, by D. Adler, Kar-Ben Copies, Rockville Md.
C. Suggested Activity Requirements
Eat at least one meal in a sukkah.
Learn one of these songs:
"To the Sukkah"
"Hoshana"
Recite the blessing for sitting in a sukkah.
Help decorate a sukkah.
Help build a sukkah.
Recite the blessing for using the lulav and etrog.
Collect canned goods, toys, or other items for needy children.
Make a sukkah diorama, using a shoe box or berry basket.
V. Simhat Torah
Literally, the festival of Rejoicing over the Torah, Simhat Torah marks the annual completion of the cycle of Torah readings. It falls at the very end of the Sukkot holiday and is best remembered by children for the Torah processions (hakafot) in the synagogue during which young people, carrying appropriate flags, join in the marching, singing, and dancing. Sweets and refreshments are the order of the day.
A. Adult-level Material
Sukkot and Simhat Torah Anthology, by Philip Goodman, J.P.S.
B. Tiger Cub-level Material
My Very Own Simchat Torah, by Judyth R. Saypol and Madeline Wikler, Kar Ben, Rockville, Md.
Our Synagogue, Set B, Behrman House.
VI. Hanukkah
A once minor holiday whose popularity has enjoyed a meteoric rise in modern times, this 8-day observance, known as the "Festival of Lights," recalls the heroic struggle against Antiochus and his hordes of Greco-Syrians by Judah Maccabee and his followers and the rededication of the Temple in Jerusalem in the year 167 B.C.E. The victory eventually led to Jewish independence and the second period of Jewish monarchy.
A. Adult-level Material
Hanukkah Anthology, by Philip Goodman, J.P.S.
Hanukkah--the Feast of Lights, by Emily Solis-Cohen, Jr., J.P.S.
Purim and Hanukkah--in Custom and Tradition, by Theodor H. Gaster, Henry Schuman, Inc., New York, N.Y.
Chanukah--Its History Observance, and Significance, the Art Scroll Series, Mesorah Publications Ltd., Brooklyn, N.Y., based upon Talmudic and traditional sources.
Hanukkah: A Family Learning Kit, Everyman's University available from Alternatives in Religious Education.
B. Tiger Cub-level Material
The Hanukkah Story, by Marilyn Hirsh, Hebrew Publishing Co., New York, N.Y.
Potato Pancakes All Around, by Marilyn Hirsh, J.P.S.
"A Great Miracle Happened There," by Laura Simms, in the Exploring Our Living Past series, Behrman House.
"Hanukkah," in the Exploring Our Living Past series, Behrman House, a four-page activity booklet.
My Very Own Chanukah Book, by Judyth R. Saypol and Madeline Wikler, Kar Ben, Rockville, Md.
The Eight Nights, by Jane Bearman, Union of American Hebrew Congregations, New York, N.Y.
Happy Hanukkah Everybody, by Alice and Hyman Chanover, United Synagogue Commission on Jewish Education, New York, N.Y.
C. Suggested Activity Requirements
Chant the blessings for lighting the Hanukkah candles.
Draw a Hanukkiah (Hanukkah menorah) or make one out of wood, clay, or metal.
Learn one of these songs:
"Rock of Ages"
"O Hanukkah"
"I Have a Little Dreidel"
Make a Hanukkah greeting card to send to a friend or relative.
Eat potato latkes (pancakes) with apple sauce or sour cream.
Demonstrate the correct way of placing and lighting the candles in the menorah.
Make a Hanukkah gift for a friend or relative.
Play a dreidel game.
VII. Tu B'Shvat
Occurring on the 15th day of the Hebrew month, Shvat, this semi-holiday marks Jewish Arbor Day in Israel. Since it represents the beginning of springtime in Israel, rabbinic literature refers to it as the New Year of the Trees. Trees have always been regarded by Jewish tradition as special gifts of God which must be nourished and protected. The day is observed in the Diaspora by eating fruits especially associated with Israel and by appeals on behalf of the Jewish National Fund, the agency responsible for the widespread reforestation in Israel.
A. Adult-level Material
See any of the general references listed earlier.
B. Tiger Cub-level Material
"Tu Bi-Shevat," in the Exploring Our Living Past series, Behrman House, a four-page activity booklet.
Jewish Awareness Worksheets, Book 2, Behrman House.
C. Suggested Activity Requirements
Buy and eat three fruits of the kind that grow in Israel.
Get your family to plant at least one tree in Israel and help to pay for it.
Plant parsley seeds or flower seeds in a milk carton or other container; water and care for them.
Draw a palm tree or orange tree or make one out of oaktag or cardboard.
Learn one of the following songs:
"It's Time for Planting"
"Tu-tu-tu B'Shvat"
"Atzei Zeitim Omdim" (Olive Trees are Standing)
Draw a map of Israel
Make a Tu B'Shvat poster using dry seeds, beans. and cereals as part of the design.
VIII. Purim
The Festival of Lots is the story of Mordecai and Queen Esther in ancient Persia and how they thwarted Haman's plot to do away with the Jews residing in the empire. It is a time of merrymaking, masquerading, and exchange of gifts. Purim is ushered in by a jolly service at which graggers (noise-making instruments) are used whenever Haman's name is read in the Biblical Scroll of Esther.
A. Adult-level Material
Purim Anthology, by Philip Goodman, J.P.S.
Purim and Hanukkah--in Custom and Tradition, by Theodor H. Gaster, Henry Schuman, Inc., New York, N.Y.
B. Tiger Cub-level Material
"Purim," in the Exploring Our Living Past series, Behrman House, a four-page activity booklet.
A Purim Album, by Raymond Zwerin and Audrey M. Friedman, Union of American Hebrew Congregations, New York, N.Y.
My Very Own Megillah, by Judyth R. Saypol and Madeline Wikler, Kar Ben Copies, Rockville, Md. There is a choice of an English or Hebrew edition.
A good nonprint item is the filmstrip Purim for Little Children available from the Union of American Hebrew Congregations (UAHC).
C. Suggested Activity Requirements
Attend a service at which the megillah (Scroll of Esther) is read.
Make a mock scroll with pictures about the story of Queen Esther.
Make your own mask or costume for a Purim masquerade or carnival out of paper plates, cloth, or acetate.
Prepare Purim baskets or plates to be delivered to the homes of two friends or relatives.
Learn one of the following songs:
"Hag Purim"
"Good Purim"
"Ani Purim"
"I Have a Queen"
Make finger puppets for the main characters in the story of Esther and present the story to the other Tiger Cubs.
Make your own gragger (noisemaker) to take to the service when the Scroll of Esther is read.
IX. Pesah
Passover commemorates the exodus from Egypt, "the time of our liberation." In addition, it celebrates the barley harvest, the first of the ancient agricultural year's cycle of crops. Highlights of its observance are eating of matzah throughout the festival and the festive seder meal ushering in the holiday at which the Haggadah is read.
A. Adult-level Material
Passover Anthology, by Philip Goodman, J.P.S.
B. Tiger Cub-level Material
A Picture Book of Passover, by David A. Adler, Holiday House. New York, N.Y.
A Family Passover, by Anne Rosen et al, J.P.S.
The Magician, by Uri Shulevitz, Macmillan, New York, N.Y.
"The Baby Moses," by Laura Simms, in the Exploring Our Living Past series, Behrman House.
"Passover," in the Exploring Our Living Past series, Behrman House, a four-page activity booklet.
My Very Own Haggadah, by Judyth R. Saypol and Madeline Wikler, Kar Ben Copies, Rockville,Md.
But This Night Is Different, by Raymond Zwerin and Audrey M. Friedman, Union of American Hebrew Congregations, New York, N.Y.
Pesah Is Coming, by Alice and Hyman Chanover, United Synagogue Commission on Jewish Education, New York, N.Y.
Pesah Is Here, by Alice and Hyman Chanover, United Synagogue Commission on Jewish Education, New York, N.Y.
My Haggadah, by Ila Cherney, Behrman House, a hands-on readiness book, part coloring, cut-out and game book.
Nonprint items include the filmstrip Pesah for Little Children (UAHC) and the cassette and filmstrip Mah Nishtanah produced by the New York Board of Jewish Education.
C. Suggested Activity Requirements
Make your own seder tray out of a large paper plate.
Play a nut game with members of your family or friends.
Learn the four questions and recite or chant them.
Take part in a Bedikat Hametz (search for leaven) ceremony.
Sing one of these songs:
"Davenu"
"Adir Hu"
"Go Down Moses"
"An Only Kid"
Make decorations for your house using seder or other Passover symbols.
Make a cover or bookmark for a Haggadah, using seder or other Passover symbols.
Make haroset for the seder out of nuts, apple, cinnamon, and wine.
X. Yom Ha-atzmaut
Israel Independence Day, falling on the fifth day of Iyar, celebrates the establishment of the State of Israel on May 14, 1948. Not since the year 70 C.E. had Jews had an independent nation on their ancestral soil. In Israel, special services, military parades and memorial prayers for the soldiers who fell in battle in Israel's wars mark the occasion. Although the observance in the U.S. is not as intense, many communities conduct special programs, parades ("walks") and other public functions.
A. Adult-level Material
Israel Independence Day, edited by Abraham P. Gannes, World Zionist Organization.
B. Tiger Cub-level Material
K'tonton in Israel, by Sadie R. Weilerstein, Judy Chernak Productions, a three-part readalong book and cassette (story and music).
The Children of Israel, by Samuel and Tamar Grand, UAHC, as well as the accompanying Fun and Activity Book.
Israel Ditto Pack, by Fran Borovetz, Alternatives in Religious Education. For kindergarten through third grade.
Our Jerusalem, by Yaffa Ganz, Behrman House, a series of eight mini-magazines.
What's An Israel?, by Chaya Burstein, Kar Ben Copies, Rockville, Md.
Joshua's Dream, by Sheila Segal, Union of American Hebrew Congregations.
C. Suggested Activity Requirements
Collect three different Israeli stamps.
Make or draw the Israeli flag.
Draw or construct a map of Israel.
Learn to dance the hora.
Participate in a walk-a-thon that will help Israel.
Learn to sing one of these songs:
"Heiveinu Shalom
"Aleichem"
"Jerusalem of Gold"
"Artzah Alinu"
"Am Yisrael Hai"
Attend a function (in a synagogue, J.C.C., etc.) dedicated to Israel.
XI. Lag B'omer
Literally, the 33d day of the counting of the measure of barley offered in the Temple in Jerusalem from the second day of Passover until the festival of Shavuot, 50 days later. Lag B'Omer is also called "Scholars' Festival." According to tradition. a plague that had decimated the warrior-students of Rabbi Akiba halted on that day. Once, bows and arrows were used by school children in mock battles to recall the military revolt against Roman rule. Today there are festivities, especially bonfires, in Israel and school picnics in the Diaspora.
A. Adult-level Material
The Jewish Home Series, by D. Syme, Union of American Hebrew Congregations. Consult Booklets.
The Jewish Holidays: A Guide and Commentary, by Michael Strassfeld, Harper & Row.
B. Tiger Cub-level Material
The Best of K'tonton, by S. Weilerstein, United Synagogue of America.
XII. Shavuot
The Hebrew for Feast of Weeks, which occurs exactly seven weeks from the second day of Passover, Shavuot in Biblical times was a holiday of thanksgiving for the early wheat harvest. The Bible also refers to it as the "Day of the First Fruits," since it was observed in ancient times by offerings in the Holy Temple of the best ripe produce of the fields. The holiday acquired its greatest significance, however, as the Festival of the Giving of Torah at Mt. Sinai, and, in commemoration, the Ten Commandments are read in the synagogue. Plants and flowers decorate places of worship and dairy foods are eaten--a reminder that the sages compared the Torah to milk.
A. Adult-level Material
Shavuot Anthology, by Philip Goodman, J.P.S.
B. Tiger Cub-level Material
"Shavuot," in the Exploring Our Living Past series, Behrman House, a four-page activity booklet.
Our Synagogue, Set B, Behrman House.
God Chose Mt. Sinai, a filmstrip, Torah Aura Productions.
The Jewish Holidays, Part II, Behrman House.
C. Suggested Activity Requirements
Decorate your home with flowers and/or branches and leaves.
Tell the story of Ruth.
Draw or make a mock Torah scroll.
Make placemats for your family, using symbols of the holiday.
Sing one of these songs:
"Here We Come"
"Torah Tzivah Lanu Moshe"
"Yismah Moshe"
"Dundai"
Recite any three of the Ten Commandments.
Draw or make a copy of the tablets of the Ten Commandments out of clay, foil, and macram yarn or other material.
