Bring-A-Friend Day

Our Edot track students concluded this semester, as did all the weekday classes at Isaiah, with our annual "Bring-A-Friend" day. Students often share with their friends outside of our Isaiah community their experiences in Religious School, and this is the one day during the year when they can invite one friend into our classroom. The lesson for the day in Edot track revolved around Hanuka. Charna started the lesson by welcoming all the friends, and explaining what the Edot track was all about. She then read a summary of the events of the Hanuka story. Students and their friends were then divided into four groups, and each group was given one fourth of the summary Charna had just read, and given the challenge to create a skit depicting their assigned part of the story. The challenge was that each group was told to perform the skit in a certain style. Group 1 had to perform the start of the Hanuka story in the style of an American western film; Group 2 as a scifi film; Group 3 in the style of a Harry Potter story; and Group 4 in the style of a Sesame Street episode. The groups went to separate rooms and areas with teachers and Avodah TA's overseeing them.  After 20 minutes we all assembled in Room 202, which had been set up with a stage area, and the performances began. The audience was asked to try to guess the assigned style of the performance, and, in every case, on both days, the groups performed so well that we all guessed correctly. Following the performances, students were given dreydls and bags of pennies, and for the next half hour the sound of dreydls being spun and pennies being thrown into the "pot" could be heard, along with the accompanying shouts of triumph or sighs of frustration. We rounded out the session at a Hanuka assembly in the Sanctuary with the rest of the weekday classes. Rabbi Greninger chose 9 volunteers from friends who were visiting to become a "human hanukiya." The friend playing the role of the Shamash (servant candle) "lit" the 8 friends playing the roles of the 8 candles of the last night of Hanuka, as Rabbi Greninger explained that we put the candles into the hanukiya each night from right to left, but then light them from left to right (lighting the newest candle first). Rabbi Greninger and our Shira (Music) Track teacher, Elaya, then led us all in singing Hanuka songs until it was time to go home. A good time was had by all!

Have a very happy Hanuka holiday - Chag Hanuka Sameach!  Enjoy your winter break, and a smooth and enjoyable transition into 2012.