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Hanukkosha Invites Friends

It's a common tradition to give children presents on Hanukkah night after candles are lit. Kids get sweets, small toys and even some money («Hanukkah gelt») and then give it to charity (tzedakah).

This year the Jewish Family Outreach Service supported by the AJJDC organized special Hanukkah events for families–at–risk who are JFOS clients. Even a performance with Hanukkosha as a main character was shown to children.

On Hanukkah the Minsk Jewish Campus organized 2 events (one event for Minsk citizens, the other for Soligorsk and Slutsk towns of Minsk region) for children from one–parent and tutorial families, and families bringing up children with psychophysical problems.

The guys who won the Ginsburg scholarship helped a lot in holding the events. They participated in writing scenario for the holiday and in organizing the event itself. The hosts were telling Hanukkah history in verse and the audience was getting different tasks to train in practice all they had heard. They made sevivon, painted pots, created Maccabi's motto and played a team game “find a candle and matches with closed eyes”. At the end of the evening children and their parents were guessing riddles that were written in verse especially for the holiday.

The performance “Hanukkosha” started in the theatre hall that was decorated with balloons and Hanukkah candles. Children together with the hosts Elena Stolina and Akiva Broide were to make a fascinating Hanukkah journey. Like the Maccabi they “fought” for Shamash: they had a few tasks to pass that were prepared for them by the Guard of the Eternal Darkness Kingdom and to take Shamash from him, because one cannot lit hanukiah without Shamash, i. e. light up home and let the holiday in. The Guard had no chance to win, because the kids were not alone — wonderful clowns helped them to make a journey.

Everybody witnessed the Miracle of Hanukkah. The magic scene of huge symbolic candles will dwell in the memory of kids. Candle–lit faces of children were happy and still there were more surprises and miracles waiting for kids. Later on kids and parents were shown a performance “Thumberlina” of the Theatre for young audience. Young spectators watched the performance with great interest; some of them were in the theatre for the first time.

After the play all the kids got nice bright presents consisting of a set of chocolate candies “from Hanukkosha”.

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