Bring-A-Friend Days

Our first week day sessions back from Thanksgivukah break were designated as Bring-A-Friend days. This is the one day during our Religious School year when our 3rd-6th grade students are encouraged to bring a friend with them to give them a taste of our school. Some friends are Jewish, some aren't. It doesn't matter. We step away from our routine schedule and curriculum for these days, and focus on the Hanuka story and traditions through fun activities.

This year for the first time, all three 5th and 6th grade tracks combined during the first hour on both days for a fun activity. After I read a short summary of the Hanuka story to everyone, we divided the students into 7 groups. Each group was assigned a part of the Hanuka story I had just read, and was instructed to create a 2-minute long skit relaying that part of the story. But there was a twist. Each group was asked to re-tell the story in the style of a well-known movie, TV show, computer game, or book. When they performed their skit, the audience was asked to try to figure out which "style" the group had been assigned. The "styles" assigned were "Harry Potter," "Minecraft," "Star Wars," "Dora the Explorer," Sesame Street, a cowboy western, and "The Hunger Games." Each group was assigned a TA or teacher, and was given about 20 minutes to work out its assigned skit in one of our classrooms or in the Beit Knesset. We then all met back in the Beit Knesset for the performances. A lot of fun was had by all, as the photos below can attest to, and the audience was able to correctly guess each "style."

"The Audience"

Reading the Hanuka story

Preparing the assigned skit

 

Performing the skits

Following the skit performances, each track went back to its own classroom for more activities. In our Edot class, the students had a choice of playing the dreydl game and/or other Hanuka-related games and activities. Whether they played the dreydl game or not, each student was given a package of Skittles candies with which they could play dreydl, if they wanted to.

A lot of students did play the dreydl game

Rabbi Greninger came in each day to introduce herself and to welcome the "friends" 

Playing the "S'vov" car race game (taking a "spin" around the track by answering Hanuka-related questions)

Some used the time to perfect their dreydl-spinning techniques

Others opted to work on word searches and other puzzles (the book on the table is a "Where's Waldo" style book, in which you have to find 5 Hanuka-related items on each page)

During the final 20 minutes of the session each day, all the school gathered in the Sanctuary for a t'fila/cum Hanuka assembly with Rabbi Greninger. Rabbi Greninger gave us a "tour" of the Sanctuary from our seats, sharing the purpose of major ritual objects, such as the Ner Tamid - the eternal light. She then lit the Hanuka candles as we all sang the blessings. 

Rabbi Greninger pointed out that the Ner Tamid in our Sanctuary was designed in such a way that the Hebrew letter "Shin" (representing "Shaddai," one of God's names) is reflected over it under certain lighting conditions.

After lighting the candles, we sang "Ma'oz Tzur," "O Hanuka, O Hanuka," and "S'vivon"

"Puttin' on the spin" for the S'vivon song

We finished the Hanuka assembly, as we do our week day t'filot sessions, by singing the Hashkeeveinu prayer together.