Ma Koreh
Adam Carpenter – Head of Jewish Life Primary
Year 4 have spent the past few weeks thinking about the history and meaning of Hanukkah within our learning about continuity and change in Judaism. Before we began, students checked their knowledge and understanding of the festival. After reading a couple of children’s stories about Hanukkah to refresh their knowledge, students studied a couple of sections of the original text from I Maccabees. In closely reading and questioning the text, students were encouraged to challenge their thinking and understanding of the story and to evaluate the actions of the Maccabees.
Here is a sample of their thinking:
What are the themes of חנוכה Hanukkah?
- Miracles can happen when you least expect them (Maia)
- Never giving up, believing in yourself and miracles can happen out of nowhere (Jasper)
- Religious freedom (Netali)
- Freedom (Dean)
The word חנוכה Hanukkah means ‘dedication’
- The Maccabees dedicated themselves and their lives for the Jewish religion (Jakob)
- The Jewish people dedicated themselves to cleaning the Temple and lighting the menorah (Kayla)
What is the נס or the miracle we remember on חנוכה Hanukkah?
- The Maccabees winning the war against the Greeks, even though they were out numbered (Zac)
- The oil of the menorah burning for 8 days, even though there was only enough oil for one day (Chloe)
Who were the Maccabees fighting against?
- They were fighting against the Greeks for the freedom to remain Jewish and practise their religion (Hana)
- King Antiochus, or KingAanti-tuchus (the king without a bottom) (Mia)
- The Greeks and the Jews who had changed their religion and became Hellenistic (Mahli)
- Some of the Jewish people who had turned Greek (Jacob)
Students were invited to step inside the sandals of a Jewish villager from Modi’in, reflecting on the uprising started by Mattahias (I Maccabees 2 15:27) where he refused to make an offering to the Greek gods and killed Jewish villager who was about make such an offering:
- Ahhh! Mattahias just killed a Jew who tried to sacrifice a pig! I’m scared he’s crazy and I’m scared he might kill me next. I understand that he is mad but that is unacceptable baviour and now he’s planning a rebellion. What if the Greeks here about this and come to our village of Modi’in to kill us. I would like to be in the rebellion, but we are a really small group and the Greeks will win because there are tons of them. (Rose)
- Today I saw Mattahias kill a villager who was about to sacrifice an offering to the Greek gods. It was a bloodbath! It was horrifying! Even though a Jew decided to become Hellenistic, doesn’t mean you can kill them. People should be able to choose their own decisions. I’m not saying that the Greeks should enforce becoming Hellenistic. We should all be able to choose our own beliefs and not be forced into them. Mattahias and his sons have now started a rebellion against the Greeks and demand a war. I support this decision as the Greeks are forcing Jews to become Hellenistic. (Kayla)
