Happy Hanukkah!

As we kicked off the introduction to our new unit on Judaism, it seemed fitting to celebrate the Jewish holiday of Hanukkah that was taking place last week through Sunday. Hanukkah, חֲנֻכָּה, also known as the Festival of Lights, is an eight-day Jewish Holiday commemorating the rededication of the Holy Temple (the Second Temple) in Jerusalem at the time of the Maccabean Revolt of the 2nd century BCE. Hanukkah is observed for eight nights and days, starting on the 25th day of Kislev according to the Hebrew Calendar, which may occur at any time from late November to late December. It is sometimes called the miracle of Hanukkah because the menorah was to be lit for eight days but there appeared to be only enough oil for one night, however, the menorah stayed lit for the entire eight nights. 

We observed this holiday by lighting five candles (because Friday marked the 5th night) on the menorah. Our class ate potato latkes, cheese and blueberry blintzes, and tried gelt. All the while listening to traditional Hebrew song. Enjoy the photos from below. 

East Asian Celebration!

As our unit on East Asian religions came to a close, we had the opportunity to engage in a variety of Asian activities. The hosting group brought in Chinese calendars, and Korean language translations (which helped us uncover some of those mysterious words in the hit song "Gangnam style").  Then they led us in making Chinese lanterns and acquainted us with Chinese New Years traditions. Afterward, the class had the opportunity to take on the challenge of making an origami crane. All the while, the students got to munch on fortune cookies, Japanese candy, and sip on green tea. The celebration was not complete without Korean tunes...Bravo to Maria, Karen, Radek, Nick, and Roberto!