E-Guide Home Curriculum Checklist Classroom Ideas Relight Your Fire! Relight your fire! Chanukah Tips Guestbook Curriculum Checklist The Festival The History The Miracle The Spiritual Struggle Celebrations Prayers The Menorah: Who lights, when and where? The Menorah: The Mitzvah of the Menorah The Menorah: How to light Broader Holiday Themes Advanced Questions The Menorah: Who lights, when and where? Who is obliged to light and who should be present? The best time to light Lighting late at night If you forget to light How long should the lights burn for? If one of the lights goes out Refraining from eating and drinking before lighting the candles Friday afternoon - Shabbat candles and Chanukah lights After Shabbat - Havdalah and Chanukah lights Where the lights are placed The mitzvah of "pirsum hanes" - publicizing the miracle The Menorah: The Mitzvah of the Menorah The mitzvah of "Hidur Mitzvah" - beautifying the commandment The Menorah should be attractive, made of metal or glass The beauty of using pure olive oil and cotton wool wicks One may also use candles of wax or paraffin Lights are arranged in a row not in a circle The Menorah: How to light One light on the first night and every successive night one light is added We light from right to left on the first night On the second night we add one immediately to the left and kindle it first We add lights from right to left but light from left to right The significance of adding a light each night A "Shamash" - "servant" light is used to kindle the others After the first light the prayer "Hanerot Hallalu" is said and the rest of the lights are kindled Broader Holiday Themes What is a miracle? Living in exile under a gentile government Hiddur Mitzvah - beautifying a mitzvah The halachic implications of Pirsum hanes, publicizing the miracle and how it relates to Purim and the reading of the Megillah The recurring problem of anti-Semitism in every generation Hellenism v Judaism and modern day parallels To what extent are we influenced by the secular culture around us. How well do we distinguish the positive from the negative influences? Do you think that Jews themselves provoke anti Semitism Why do you think the Greek dictator specifically chose to forbid the observance of Shabbat, Rosh Chodesh and Circumcision? Jewish faith and spirit Have you ever experienced anti Semitism? To what extent do you feel part of the culture in which you live? The Chanukah story highlights the question of Jewish identity. Judah the Maccabi fought for the Jews who identified themselves with Judaism over and above Hellenist Culture. Do you see your self primarily as a Jew or as an American? The miracle of Jewish existence - a constant battle of the many against the few, the strong against the weak. Other examples in Jewish History. Chanukah - the Jewish Christmas? What do you relate to most, Chanukah or Christmas? Advanced Questions Why do we observe Chanukah for eight days, since the miracle of the oil occurred for only for 7 days, there having originally been sufficient oil for one day? Why is only the miracle of the oil mentioned in the Talmud? Why did the Kingdom of Hasmonean fail to endure? Why were they all killed and their seed cut off from Israel?