Jewish life abounds in symbols and religious objects--visual and tangible representations of its many lofty values and ideals which words alone cannot adequately convey. Religious articles are aesthetic cues to important messages bearing on our relationship either to God or to our fellow human beings. They help us not only to reenact time-honored rituals but to bring aspects of our people's long history to life. They serve as daily or periodic reminders of our Jewishness, of the grace, beauty, and meaningfulness of the traditions which have been passed along to us. In no small way, they are concrete unifiers of the Jewish community. Little wonder, then, that it is considered good practice to introduce children to a wide array of traditional symbols, objects, and articles during their earliest years.
Over the centuries, many of these articles acquired great aesthetic charm, artistry, and elegance. They became things of beauty. Undoubtedly this may be attributed to the fact that the rabbis of old emphasized not merely the performance of a mitzvah but hiddur mitzvah, beautification of a mitzvah. It became important to use not ordinary objects but aesthetically unusual ones-a sterling silver etrog container, a perfectly shaped lulav, a uniquely designed spice box for havdalah, an exceptionally tasteful Kiddish cup, and so on.
Not all of these objects are equal in sanctity. Because the content of the mezuzah is from the Torah and is prepared in the identical manner as a Torah scroll, i.e., on parchment, by a scribe, it has a higher degree of holiness than the others. When no longer usable, it must be buried or stored away. On the other hand, a lulav or shofar may be discarded when no longer serviceable.
Recently, a congregation in the Atlanta area conceived an excellent way of conveying the beauty and significance of Jewish symbols and objects. According to an article which appeared in The Southern Israelite, the congregation opened a "touch me" museum, making it possible for religious school students to touch, smell, manipulate, and where applicable, wear the various items in the exhibit. Blowing the shofar, donning a robe worn by rabbis or cantors during High Holy Day services, shaking a lulav, making tzitzit (the knotted fringes on the prayer shawl), and trying one's hand at being a sofer (scribe) were among the dozens of opportunities afforded the participants to learn through experience about their Jewish heritage.
If a Tiger Cub group holds an activity in a synagogue or Jewish community center, perhaps the host institution can be persuaded to organize a "touch me" museum--either on a year-round basis or prior to certain holidays. Such a display would be of considerable interest to the other children in the community, as well as to the Tiger Cubs.
In connection with the articles and objects to be identified by the Maccabee Award candidates, it might be highly beneficial to have every youngster take an instant photograph of the items he has selected to describe and to make a scrapbook of them with appropriate captions. He might also be encouraged to collect samples of these items and bring them to his group to "show and tell."
Selected References
In addition to the sources mentioned under (1) the section on "Resources" in the Introduction and (2) under each of the symbolic objects below, the reader should find the following of immense value:
My Synagogue, by Michael Weisser, Behrman House, West Orange. N.J. Though this happens to be a coloring and activity book, it is a good source for both concise definitions and suggested educational experience.
Selected Activities
Activities of the kind necessary to fulfill the "hands-on" requirement associated with the symbols and objects that follow appear after the selected references provided for each. However, if the candidate has a well-thought-out, creative activity to recommend, which is not among those listed, it should be seriously considered by the counselor.
Siddur
This is the term for the Hebrew prayerbook, used both at home and in the synagogue. Derived from the Hebrew word for "order," it was meant to suggest the orderly arrangement of the prayers.
Traditionally, the term has been applied to the prayerbook containing the liturgy for daily and Sabbath worship, whereas the compilation of prayers for the festivals and the High Holy Days has been known as Mahzor, meaning cycle. Many of today's siddurim (plural for siddur), have Hebrew on one side of the page and the English translation on the other.
Some of the Hebrew prayers in the siddur, such as the "Shema Yisrael" and the Psalms, are Biblical in origin; others were composed by rabbis during and after Second Temple days. Still others are of more recent vintage, having been inserted in the prayer-book during the medieval period and later. They reflect basic ideas and concepts of Judaism.
Long ago, Jews worshipped by heart. About 1,000 years ago, a renowned rabbi, Amram Gaon, gathered the prayers that were then used and wrote them down in a single book. Later, when printing was invented, Jewish people utilized printed siddurim.
Selected References
Birnbaum pages 429-432
Gross, pages 58, 116-117
The Jewish Kids Catalog, page 145
The Jewish Catalog, Volume 2, pages 297-298
Trepp, pages 42-43
Also consult:
Inside the Synagogue, revised edition, by Joan Sugarman and Grace Freeman, Union of American Hebrew Congregations, chapters 20, 21.
Jewish Awareness Worksheets, Book 2, Behrman House.
My Siddur, by Deborah U. Miller, Behrman House, a prayer readiness book.
My Synagogue, by Michael Weisser, Behrman House.
Selected Activities
a. Prepare an eight-page illustrated "prayerbook" which includes at least three of the prayers or blessings (in Hebrew, English, or both) you like best in the Siddur.
b. Learn and recite or chant at least two of the following prayers: "Ve-a-hav-ta" (And You Shall Love the Lord Your God); "Mi Chamocha" (Who Is Like You, O God); "Ein Keloheinu" (There Is No One Like Our God); "Ki Mi-tzion" (Out of Zion); "Etz Hayim Hi" (It Is a Tree of Life); "Va-a-nahnu Kor'im" (But We Bow Down).
c. Find the following terms and names (in Hebrew or English) in a siddur: Abraham, Moses, Israel, Zion, Torah, Jacob, house, holy, halleluyah, Sabbath, shalom, Jerusalem. Write out the passage or sentence in which each term or word appears.
Shofar
Probably the oldest surviving wind instrument, the shofar, or ram's horn, is frequently mentioned in the Bible. In ancient times it was used to signal important public events. To modern-day Jews, it is best known for its use on Rosh Hashanah and at the conclusion of Yom Kippur. Less known is the fact that, in traditional synagogues, it is sounded daily (except on the Sabbath) at the close of morning services for the entire month preceding Rosh Hashanah.
The four distinctive blasts are tekiah, a long sound; shevarim, three short, broken sounds, teruah, a succession of tremulous staccato sounds; and tekiah gedolah, a very long, drawn-out sound.
Selected References
Birnbaum, pages 591-592
Gross, pages 70-71, 74-75, 172
Kolatch, Volume I, pages 224-231, 245
The Jewish Catalog, Volume 1, pages 64-72
Trepp, pages 94-96, 105-107
Also consult:
"Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur," in the Our Holidays series, by Miriam Schlein, Behrman House. This series is included in the Home Start Subscription series for 5- and 6-year-olds.
Selected Activities
a. Borrow a shofar and try to blow it.
b. Learn the names of the shofar sounds and imitate them with your voice.
c. Cut out a mock shofar from construction paper, light cardboard, etc., and color or decorate it.
d. Sandcast a shofar, using plaster of paris.
Mezuzah
While many objects identify a Jewish home on the inside, only one points to its Jewishness on the outside--the mezuzah. In its Biblical usage, the term "mezuzah" literally meant "doorpost." Only later was it transferred to the religious object affixed to the right doorpost.
The mezuzah consists of a small roll of parchment, containing the "Shema" and other Biblical passages bespeaking love for God and His commandments (Deuteronomy 6:4-9 and 11:13-21), enclosed in a metal or wood case. The Hebrew letter "shin" or the word "Shaddai," which has been imprinted on the back of the parchment, is often visible through the opening near the top of the case. "Shaddai" means "Almighty," though many scholars feel that the three Hebrew letters in this word are the initials of a phrase referring to God as "the guardian of the entrance doors of Israelites."
In traditional homes, the mezuzah is fastened not only to the outer door but to the entrance way to virtually every room. The occupants, upon entering or leaving, customarily touch the mezuzah with their fingers and then kiss the fingers.
Some people mistakenly wear a miniature mezuzah as a necklace. This practice may stem from an inclination to view the mezuzah as an amulet to ward off evil. The mezuzah, however, belongs on the door or the entrance to a room only. Its purpose is to keep us aware of (a) the oneness and nearness of God and (b) our moral and religious duties.
Selected References
Birnbaum, pages 349, 448
Gross, pages 115-116, 227-228, 236
Kolatch, Volume I, pages 113-118
The Jewish Catalog, Volume 1, pages 12-14, 206
Trepp, pages 36-37
Also consult:
Basic Judaism for Young People, Volume II, pages 53-60, 147
Selected Activities
a. Bring a mezuzah to a meeting, open it to show its contents, and explain the contents to the group.
b. Make a mock mezuzah case out of cardboard or soft wood.
c. Draw 10 of the letters found in the mezuzah parchment the way the scribe did.
d. Obtain permission to fasten a mezuzah to the outside door or the entrance to one of the rooms of a friend's or relative's house. Learn the proper blessing for affixing a mezuzah, as well as how far up it should be placed and at what angle.
Matzah
Symbolizing the unleavened bread our people ate during the exodus from Egypt, matzah is normally associated with Passover. Three matzot are used ceremonially in the course of the Passover seder, an occasion during which these flat cracker-like breads also remind us of the "bread of affliction" that our ancestors ate in Egypt while in bondage. They also help recall the simple desert life that marked our people's wandering in the wilderness for 40 years following their deliverance from slavery. Some people add a fourth matzah as a reminder of the Jewish communities in our time that are oppressed.
Made simply from flour and water, matzah is baked rapidly and generally perforated to prevent its rising during the baking process.
Selected References
Birnbaum, pages 74-75, 389
Gross, pages 98, 102-103
Kolatch, Volume 1. pages 182-183, 190-195
The Jewish Kids Catalog, pages 94-95
The Jewish Catalog, Volume I, pages 139-140, 142-145
Trepp, pages 178-188
Also consult:
"Passover," in the Our Holidays series by Miriam Schlein, Behrman House.
But This Night Is Different, by Raymond Zwerin and Audrey M. Friedman, Union of American Hebrew Congregations.
A Child's Introduction to Torah, by Shirley Newman, Behrman House.
Selected Activities
a. Draw a matzah, showing the tiny holes or perforations.
b. Bake a matzah.
c. Make a matzah cover out of construction paper or cloth and decorate it.
d. Collect the wrappers of three different brands of matzah and make a collage out of them.
Lulav
Since Sukkot usually falls in October, the lulav might well be one of the first religious objects to which Maccabee Award candidates as yet unfamiliar with this Jewish symbol are introduced. A visit by or to the rabbi or attendance at a Sukkot morning service when the lulav characteristically is used will provide an opportunity for candidates to see it. They will not only learn about it and actually examine this palm branch decked with sprigs of willow and myrtle, but they will also see a demonstration of how it is waved.
A procession with lulav and etrog (the festive citron) takes place in the traditional synagogue every day of Sukkot except Saturday, culminating in seven processions on Hoshanah Rabba, the day before Shemini Atzeret. During part of the service, the lulav is waved in the four directions of the compass, as well as upward and downward, to symbolize the abundance and ever-presence of God's blessings.
The lulav has inspired various interesting interpretations, some of which are found in the sources listed below.
Selected References
Birnbaum, pages 72, 160, 311-312, 415, 437
Gross, pages 82-84
Kolatch, Volume I, pages 250-254
The Jewish Catalog, Volume 1, pages 73-78
Trepp, pages 122-123, 126-127
Also consult:
"Sukkot and Simhat Torah," in the Our Holiday series, by Miriam Schlein, Behrman House.
Our Synagogue, Set B, Behrman House.
Selected Activities
a. Make a mock lulav out of construction paper or cardboard.
b. Recite the blessing for using the lulav.
c. Show correctly how the lulav is shaken during services on Sukkot.
Menorah
Over the centuries, the menorah has vied with the Magen David (Shield of David) as the foremost symbol of Judaism and the Jewish people. Its origin is in the Five Books of Moses, Moses having been instructed to build a golden menorah to illuminate the Tabernacle. The Torah speaks of the special pains taken with the artistic design and ornamentation.
The menorah was seven-branched. There was a base and a shaft with six branches made of solid gold which curved to the height of the central shaft so that all seven lamps were in a straight line. Fresh olive oil was provided daily and burned from evening to morning. According to tradition, the center lamp was left burning all day. (Today, the central seventh lamp is represented in the synagogue by the Ner Tamid, the Eternal Light, a perpetual light burning before the Ark.)
The earliest representation of the menorah known to us is found on the Arch of Titus in Rome, erected by the Romans to commemorate their victory parade following the destruction of the Holy Temple in Jerusalem in the year 70 C.E. In recent years, a number of tombs and monuments excavated in Israel and Rome, going back many centuries, had a menorah carved on them.
A second menorah, distinguished from the original candelabrum by its eight branches and shamash (server lamp), came into being thanks to the events that led to the Hanukkah celebration. To emphasize the distinction, the Hanukkah menorah is usually referred to as a Hanukkiah (Hanukkah Lamp).
Rabbinic law forbade making exact reproductions of the vessels used in the Holy Temple. In all probability, this was decreed in the hope that the seven-branched menorah design would again be employed for the restored edifice. Notwithstanding the prohibition, the seven-branched candelabrum has frequently been replicated, particularly in modern times. With minor variations, it is found in synagogues and many Jewish communal institutions. Moreover, it is now the official emblem of the State of Israel. A very large and imposing menorah is located in front of the Knesset building in Jerusalem.
Whereas formerly only oil was utilized to light the menorah; candles, gas, and electricity are often substituted today.
Much has been written concerning the symbolism of the seven branches. Generally they are seen as representing the 7 days of creation; in other words, the 7 days of the week during which, it is hoped God's light or presence will illuminate our lives.
Selected References
Birnbaum, pages 366-367
Gross, pages 54, 58, 88,1 71, 188
Kolatch, Volume 1, pages 126, 217, 262-264-
The Jewish Catalog, Volume I, pages 133-134
Trepp, pages 142-147
Also consult:
Inside the Synagogue (revised edition), Chapter 15, Union of American Hebrew Congregations.
My Synagogue, by Michael Weisser, Behrman House, Jewish Awareness Worksheets, Book 2, Behrman House.
Selected Activities
a. Make a seven-branch menorah out of flower pots, paper cups, metal cans, clay, plywood. or soda bottle caps.
b. Make an eight-branch menorah or Hanukkiah out of any of the items mentioned above.
c. Show the order in which the candles are placed in the Hanukkah menorah and also the order in which they are lit.
d. Make a menorah mobile to hang in your home or at a Scout meeting.
Dreidel (Svivon)
Few youngsters will not recognize the name for the spinning top associated with Hanukkah. Made of metal, plastic, or wood with Hebrew letters on four sides signifying that "a great miracle occurred there," the dreidel provides one of the games, perhaps the favorite one, played after the Hanukkah lights have been kindled. Significantly, in Israel, the letter "peh," meaning "here," has replaced the letter "shin," denoting "there."
Selected References
Birnbaum, pages 226-229
Gross, pages 89, 91
Kolatch, Volume 1, page 266
The Jewish Kids Catalog, pages 92, 104, 118-119
The Jewish Catalog, Volume 1, pages 131-133
Trepp, page 147
Also consult:
"A Great Miracle Happened There," by Laura Simms, in the Exploring Our Living Past series, Behrman House.
My Very Own Chanukah Book, by Judyth R. Saypol and Madeline Wikler, Kar Ben Copies, Rockville, Md.
"Hanukkah" in the Our Holidays series, Behrman House.
Selected Activities
a. Show the group how to play a dreidel game.
b. Make a dreidel out of a styrofoam or cardboard egg carton, a ping pong ball, a marshmallow, a button, clay., or a half-pint milk carton.
c. Draw the Hebrew letters that appear on a dreidel or make them out of softwood, cardboard, styrofoam, or construction paper.
d. Make a dreidel mobile, using at least four different kinds of dreidels.
Tallit (Tallis)
This is the name by which the prayer shawl worn by traditionally-oriented Jews is known. It is sometimes used as a wedding canopy and to cover the pre-Bar/Bat Mitzvah children called to the Torah on the holiday of Simhat Torah.
A wearable tallit has fringes, called tzitzit, on its four corners. These threads, with their interesting double-knots and windings are intended to be reminders of God and His teachings.
In his volume, The Complete Book of Jewish Observance, Trepp refers to the tallit as the "robe of responsibility." It might be worthwhile to ask the Maccabee Award candidate why he thinks that is.
Some youngsters may find it of interest to know that many traditional Jews wear a small prayer shawl, called a tallit katan, under their shirts. Even in those instances where the candidate is not a stranger to the term tallit, it would be profitable to have him examine a variety of tallitot for size, color, material. and design. To rouse his curiosity regarding the tzitzit, encourage him to explore how they are made.
Selected References
Birnbaum, pages 527-528
Gross, pages 24-25, 47, 126, 163-164
Kolatch, Volume 1, pages 99-106
The Jewish Catalog, Volume I, pages 51-57
Trepp, pages 27-30
Also consult:
My Synagogue, by Michael Weisser, Behrman House.
Selected Activities
a. Learn and recite the blessing for putting on a tallit.
b. Learn how to make the tzitzit (fringes) for a tallit.
c. Make a jigsaw puzzle that features a tallit.
d. Draw the Hebrew words that usually appear on the top of the tallit.
Haggadah
The Haggadah is the special book used at the Passover seder. While its text focuses primarily on the narrative of the Exodus, it also features folklore, hymns, poetry, riddles, Biblical and rabbinic passages, and various prayers and blessings. Some Maccabee Award candidates no doubt will already be familiar with such favorites as "Dayenu," "Mah Nishtanah," and "Had Gadya."
More than 2,000 different printed editions of the Haggadah have appeared since the age of printing began. The Haggadah also is one of the most illustrated Jewish literary works.
Even in a small Jewish community, there will be an assortment of Haggadot. The parent or counselor might try to round up a number of them and let the candidates examine them.
Selected References
Birnbaum, pages 155-156
Gross, pages 93, 103-106
Kolatch, Volume 1, pages 195-198
The Jewish Kids Catalog, page 146
The Jewish Catalog, Volume 1, pages 141-143
Trepp, pages 180-182, 185-190
Also consult:
My Haggadah, by Ila Cherney, Behrman House.
Pesah Is Here, by Hyman and Alice Chanover, United Synagogue Commission on Jewish Education.
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.
Selected Activities
a. Prepare an illustrated Haggadah of your own.
b. Learn and chant at least one of these melodies:
"Dayenu"
"Adir Hu"
"Avadim Hayinu"
"Mah Nishtanah"
c. Make a cover for a Haggadah and decorate it with appropriate symbols.
Optional Symbols
Should the Tiger Cub or counselor decide to use any of the optional symbols (Magen David, Afikoman, Kippah, Aron Ha-Kodesh, or Gragger), the standard sources of information and craft ideas mentioned earlier should be consulted. It may also be well to give play to one's own imagination.
