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Hanukkah for Kids

December 12, 2017 by Debbi Ballard

There really is only one word to describe celebrating Hanukkah for kids, FUN!  And, don’t we all deserve a little fun in our lives?  I certainly think so.

Since the birth of my grandson Jayden, I’ve found even more joy in this holiday.  Over the years I have been blessed to celebrate with so many of my families, and their young children.  And each holiday was so special; younger children are truly enveloped by the story of the holiday and the games and food that accompany it.  I saw this in so many children. Now, I not only get to share it with them; but I have that pure joy in my own house;  I LOVE it!  Below, I have provides some of my personal ideas in creating a magical Hanukkah for kids!

Hanukkah Activities for Kids

Share the Story

The story of Hanukkah is exciting.  There are bad guys and heros and happy endings — there is even a miracle.  A little Jewish education is important during the holidays.  Sometimes the best way to share the story is  with a story – a story book!  Years and years ago (oh no, am I showing my age?) Hanukkah books were hard to find.  Today, that’s not the case.  In fact, I recently found this site which shares some of the most wonderful books around.  Check it out and please, if you have a favorite book, let me know so I can share it with our community!

Cook (and eat) the Food

Potato Latkes

Hanukkah food is delicious – I look forward to it all year long.  Can you blame me?  Potato latkes are just so good.  Freshly made with apple sauce or sour cream.  Honestly, I don’t even think I need a main course; I could eat them for dinner.  And, when you make them, which ever recipe you choose, don’t forget my special cooking tip:  after you grate the potatoes, squeeze out all the liquid (use a cheese cloth)!  They will be perfect!

Sufganiyot

As much as I love a latke, after all their salty goodness you do need something sweet.  And that is where sufganiyot comes in to play.  These sweet donuts filled with jelly are the perfect way to end a holiday celebration.  And while you can always grab some jelly donuts from the local store, here is a quick and easy recipe if you want to make them at home.  Seriously, four ingredients (if you count the oil and powdered sugar). Click the link and check it out.  There’s nothing better than a warm sufganiyot!

Gelt

And then, there is gelt.  It’s not really “food”, it’s more of a treat! You should absolutely have some (or lots) on had throughout the holiday.  Hanukkah gelt is a tradition, and chocolate gelt is the perfect little treat.  Truth be told, much of the chocolate gelt (those foil-covered candy coins) you can buy from local retailers may contain peanuts and tree nuts.  If you have a child with an allergy, please read the labels carefully. If you want to order nut free gelt, click here.  Don’t forget to double check the ingredients when they arrive; you can never be too careful!

Play Games

Holiday games are always fun, and dreidel is always a crowd favorite. Each of the letters on the side of the dreidel corresponds to a specific action in the game.  Click here for a complete description of the game and its rules.  Before you sit down to play, make sure you have a bowl of pennies, gelt or candy, as the game resolves around a “pot” of goodies which each player has the opportunity to win.

Do you know what the letters on the dreidel mean? They are Nun, Gimmel, Hay, and Shin, which stands for Nais Gadol Hayah Shahm.  Translated, that means “a great miracle happened there”.  Pretty special, isn’t it?

Light the Menorah

Make the candle lighting special each night.  Perhaps everyone in the house has their own Menorah (what a great idea for a first night of Hanukkah gift – here is great website for children’s style ones).

Or, if you have a family menorah, everyone can take a turn lighting the candles (of course, little ones, with help).

Say the prayer together, each night.  I bet by night eight EVERYONE in the family knows it!

Incorporate Tzedakah

Tzedakah, to Jewish people is more than charity, it is an obligation to give.  Our community is especially fortunate; and we should incorporate giving into our celebration, especially because so many others are truly in need.  Talk to your family and determine how you can incorporate tzedakah together.  You can “adopt” a child for the holiday and fulfill there wishlist, you can volunteer at any number of places, you can donate to Toys for Tots, you can make a financial contribution to an organization whose mission and goals resonates with your family.  I encourage you to discuss this with your children; even those who are young can appreciate and participate helping someone in need.

Celebrate Hanukkah for Kids

Celebrate, celebrate, celebrate!  I cannot say it enough.  Embrace the opportunity to share the holiday with your young children; believe me, they will be grown before you know it!  Holidays through the eyes of a child take on a whole new meaning.  Take a visual picture (and a cell phone one too) of their expressions of joy and wonder.  Share in their enjoyment.  Participate wholeheartedly and in a hands on manner.  Put your phones away and enjoy one of the most special times of the year.

From my family to yours, Happy Hanukkah!  I can’t wait to hear about your celebrations!

Looking for more information on edjewcation station, Shema Koleinu or Cantor Debbi Ballard?  Click the links displayed.  I would love to welcome you into my community and share with you all that we do.

 

 

 

 

Filed Under: Cooking, Learning, Uncategorized Tagged With: Hanukkah, Jewish Education, latkes, Volunteer

My Community Rocks -Hurricane Irma Couldn’t Stop Us!

December 1, 2017 by Debbi Ballard

Hurricane Irma hit South Florida hard.  Not as hard as we initially feared, but hard enough that we all felt the aftermath – some of us more than others.

Needing to Help

Now, I was incredibly lucky….I had a bit of a mess and no electricity; but with the help of my family I cleaned up relatively quickly.   Thankfully, my power was restored in a timely manner.  I was lucky.  So many others weren’t.  And, as seems to be the norm, those who were hardest hit were the most vulnerable of our community, the elderly and the children.   As I watched the news and scrolled through my Facebook feed (let me digress for a moment, what an amazing communication tool Facebook was during this difficult time), horrible stories of devastation and damage seemed to be everywhere.    It made my heart hurt and immediately I wanted to help.  No, I needed to help.  And so it began…..

Innocently enough, I posted my desire to help on my Facebook page; and over the course of a few days I was able to pinpoint an organization in considerable need:  Covenant House.

Who is Covenant House

Located in east Fort Lauderdale, Covenant House Florida is an organization that services runaways, homeless and at risk youth including teen parents and their babies.  In addition, they provide aftercare, transitional housing and and crisis shelters, among other services and have locations in Fort Lauderdale and Orlando.  Locally, Covenant House provides shelter for a number of young people, and offers a broad range of  services to many others. This organization provides housing, food and counsel to a segment of our young population that would otherwise be without help.  As such, they are an invaluable resource to our community.

What happened

Hurricane Irma happened…..and she happened hard.  Because of Covenant House’s location, east Fort Lauderdale, it was one of the last organizations to have power restored.  However, they were still responsible for caring for the young people who relied upon them.  I was contacted and asked to help with the coordination of food and supply delivery.   They usually prepare their own food, but the lack of power left their kitchen inoperable.  So, I put out a call on my FB, and my community responded.

Our Response

At my core I am a teacher; one whose focuses in my lessons and my life on giving back and doing good.  I try to lead by example and have lead countless service projects in the past.  Every time I reach out to my community they respond — I am never disappointed.  I have to admit though, this time I could barely believe the response to my request.  After all, times were difficult for us all.  I questioned how much help I would receive.

The answer to my question was A LOT!  Families of my Edjewcation Station students, to my bar and bat mitzvah families, to my Mitzvah Makers families and my Shema Koleinu families all offered their help.  They donated food and supplies.  Together we delivered car loads of water, canned goods, fresh fruit, dry goods and snacks.  They donated money, which we were able to contribute to the organization to buy the items they needed.  And, they donated their time.  They volunteered to pick up and deliver hot meals to the kids at covenant house from the many restaurants that so generously provided food.

I did not need to ask for help twice.  In fact, at times I had to “choose” who to send to help because so many different people offered their assistance.  You know that old saying “when the going gets tough, the tough get going”?    I now know my community is tough!

I am so proud of my families for once again stepping up. Community service is a large part of my life, and time and time again these wonderfully generous people step up and contribute their time and money and hearts.  Their children are so blessed.  They are learning from example from their parents, their community and their friends.  In short, they simply are the best.

Join my community

Looking for more information on edjewcation station, Shema Koleinu or Cantor Debbi Ballard?  Click the links displayed.  I would love to welcome you into my community and share with you all that we do.

Filed Under: Events, Learning values Tagged With: bar mitzvah, Community, edjewcation station, jewish, South Florida, unaffiliated, Volunteer

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