Days of Significance : Hanukkah

This is an ideal book to introduce young children to Hanukkah, and a stunning keepsake for family celebrations. In this sumptuous pop-up book, author Sara Freedland recounts the dramatic events that took place in Jerusalem more than 2,000 years ago, and Sue Clarke's gilded three-dimensional collages illustrate the miraculous story. Freedland and Clarke also explore the many traditions now celebrated in remembrance of those events, and the book includes a pop-up menorah, traditional songs to sing, and even a pop-out dreidl and coins to play with! A lively way to learn about and celebrate Hanukkah.

Two brothers celebrate Hanukkah on a true and unforgettable journey to freedom as they escape from Tsarist Russia and travel on to Palestine. "The narrative is convincing; the characterizations are natural; and the resolution is touching." --Bulletin for the Center of Children's Books. "Lustrous oil paintings are a fitting backdrop to this simple yet effective tale of faith and courage." --The Horn Book. "A splendid book for Hanukkah and everyday." --Publishers Weekly.

When Grandpa was a boy growing up in Europe, he celebrated Hanukkah in much the way children do today. He sang songs, played dreidel, and ate potato pancakes. Yet Hanukkah was very different.nbsp;His family could not share the joy of Hanukkah with the world. They were forced to observe the holiday behind locked doors and drawn curtains. In those days, a man came with soldiers to persecute thenbsp;Jews--just as a foreign king had done centuries earlier in Jerusalem. Sheldon Oberman's beautiful story explores the meaning of Hanukkah in a way that enlightens and inspires. Neil Waldman's radiant illustrations capture the message of joy and courage that is the Festival of Lights.

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Explores the ways American Jews have reshaped Hanukkah traditions across the country In New Orleans, Hanukkah means decorating your door with a menorah made of hominy grits. Latkes in Texas are seasoned with cilantro and cayenne pepper. Children in Cincinnati sing Hanukkah songs and eat oranges and ice cream. While each tradition springs from its own unique set of cultural references, what ties them together is that they all celebrate a holiday that is different in America than it is any place else. For the past two hundred years, American Jews have been transforming the ancient holiday of Hanukkah from a simple occasion into something grand. Each year, as they retell its story and enact its customs, they bring their ever-changing perspectives and desires to its celebration. Providing an attractive alternative to the Christian dominated December, rabbis and lay people alike have addressed contemporary hopes by fashioning an authentically Jewish festival that blossomed in their American world. The ways in which Hanukkah was reshaped by American Jews reveals the changing goals and values that emerged among different contingents each December as they confronted the reality of living as a religious minority in the United States. Bringing together clergy and laity, artists and businessmen, teachers, parents, and children, Hanukkah has been a dynamic force for both stability and change in American Jewish life. The holiday's distinctive transformation from a minor festival to a major occasion that looms large in the American Jewish psyche is a marker of American Jewish life. Drawing on a varied archive of songs, plays, liturgy, sermons, and a range of illustrative material, as well as developing portraits of various communities, congregations, and rabbis, Hanukkah in America reveals how an almost forgotten festival became the most visible of American Jewish holidays.