Taken from an article written by Jennifer Kaplan July 2011 CHANUKAH HOW-TOs Holiday Hints for Teachers • Get a calendar that includes secular, Christian, and Jewish holidays (or check online). The Jewish calendar is based on the moon; therefore Chanukah, like all Jewish holidays, begins on a different day each year. Sometimes it falls as early as the end of November; other times it coincides with Christmas. • While Chanukah is not a major holiday and in no way is equivalent to Christmas, it has gained wide recognition and observance in North America because of its proximity to Christmas. • If you decorate your studio, take care not to mix Jewish and Christian decorations. For example, don’t place a Jewish star or menorah—an eight-branched candelabra used to observe the holiday—on or under a Christmas tree or a wreath. Making the two holidays seem equivalent could be deemed offensive to both Jews and Christians. Instead, find a separate place to display a Chanukah menorah. • If you wish to display a menorah (many varieties are available at Jewish gift shops and online Jewish stores), be sure to keep count of the candles (or light bulbs, if electric) and add one each evening through the eighth night. Remember that all Jewish holidays begin at sundown. • If you have a large number of Jewish students, the most important holidays (when many students might be absent) take place in the fall at Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur (September or October) and in the spring at Passover (March or April). Don’t plan performances, open houses, or master classes on those days (observances begin at sundown the night before), since your Jewish students won’t be able to participate. • If you have any questions, don’t hesitate to ask Jewish parents. Most likely they will be happy to share their practices and thoughts about how to make their children comfortable during the winter holiday season—or any time of the year. —JK
Posted on: Wed, 29 Oct 2014 13:23:51 +0000