Hanukkah / Jewish Winter Solstice Seder

A fully formatted, printer-ready PDF format of the Hanukkah seder is available for just $5 in my Etsy Shop.   Purchases support my work both financially and spiritually, by letting me know you appreciate and are using the work. Overview Elements:  Water (have) Fire (need) Themes: Re/Dedication, Heroes/Heroines, Light in the Darkness, Power of the Individual, Things that are Hidden What’s Hidden:  Things under the water, Jews in the Greek Empire and Pure Vial of Oil, The laws of nature and the sun, Judith’s motives in camp of Holfernes Four Stories:  Leviathan, Maccabees, Adam at Solstice, Judith Four Courses: Soup/Fish, Olives, Root Vegetables, Cheese This seder is intended for the eighth night of Hanukkah, as all eigth candles are light during the seder (but I think you could also do it on the first night).  It’s also a great way to celebrate the Winter Solstice (Tefukat Tevet) in a Jewish way, whether it falls during Hanukkah or not! Unlike Passover, there is no break for a meal in this seder.  After each section, a dish is served which corresponds directly to what has just happened.  There are also food blessings before most courses.  If you are traditionally observant, please feel free to modify the food blessings to follow your own practice.  Wine is not called out here specifically, but it would be perfectly appropriate to include wine with each course. Another change from the format of a Passover seder is that there is no specification as to who should read what parts.  I leave that to you to decide.  You can designate certain parts for a leader or just go around the table having each person read a section. I hope you enjoy Hanukkah/Solstice seder.  Please feel free to leave comments and share your experience with it....

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Hanukkah Presents

Get this widget! I think I’ll add new presents each day of Hanukkah under this menorah — just like at home. One thing I promise, no six packs of socks! Seventh Present Happy Winter Solstice! Here’s a collection of Jewish winter solstice stories to light your way through this dark night Thanks to Jason at Wild Hunt for posting this gorgeous picture! Sixth Present Unwrap a little Matisyahu — nothing like a hipster Hasid! New album comes out on December 26th. Fifth Present Fourth Present Artist Shoshanna Bauer is on a mission to paint 50 paintings in 50 days. She painted this beautiful menorah on the first day of Chanukkah. What a lovely gift she gave us all! Third Present If you haven’t checked out Chanukkah in Story and Song — do! It’s a mixture of story and song that was produced by NPR a few years ago. Leonard Nimoy, yes that Leonard Nimoy, does the narration and the Western Wind Ensemble does the music. I have several Jewish holiday CDs produced by the Western Wind Ensemble with Mr. Nimoy’s narration — all are fantastic. Second Present And if you know any feminist, goddess Jews — Leonard Nimoy’s book Shekhinah is a great gift choice. Warning — more traditional Jews may be offended by it, so please be sure that the recipient will actually appreciate it. I love it, but my Mom (who gave it to me) was a bit confused by it, although not offended. [tags]hannukah, chanukkah, gifts,...

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Happy Hanukkah

Happy Hannukah to all! I have to share this with everyone. XM Radio is doing all Hanukkah music all day during Hanukkah on channel 108. The best part is you can get it for free online for the week! Go to: http://www.xmradio.com/hanukkah/ Enter promo code: thechosen Now we can annoy everyone with Hanukkah music for 8 long days and nights — just like we get annoyed with Christmas music for the entire month of December. The music schedule starts tonight at 5p.m. with candle lighting. Light that first candle tonight. p.s. No, I’m not being compensated for posting that link. I just think it’s really cool and wanted to share. [tags]hanukkah, xm radio, radio hanukkah,...

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Re-Dedicating the Temple

Once we had The Temple where we made sacrifices of precious blood and grain. Now we we have temples where people pray, but few truly give offerings. The darkness. The darkness. The darkness. Doesn’t the light always return? The light, it does return? It does return. Hanukkah? חנוכה The lights.   We light them.   The light returns. We light the lights to remember. We light the lights to re-dedicate the temple or The Temple? Where is The Temple? Isn’t She everywhere? Is She the שכינה, the Presence? Isn’t the Presence everywhere and in everything. Yes Then I re-dedicate The Temple here. נס גדול היה שם Yes, but I am here —פה I r e a c h to others who feel as I do.   And one becomes many.   I becomes we.   We together, reclaim our inheritance. We re-dedicate the Earth, אדמה, as Temple. We pour offerings of sweat, not blood. We pour offerings of grain and oil. We pour offerings of praise and care. We care for our Temple, Our Holy of Holies, Through every action we take. We light the lights… And it begins again [originally published December 14,...

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Happy Chanukah!

I was trying to write something new this year for each night, but I decided that I really liked last years — so I’m reposting it. I mean, come on, if Susan Stamberg can do the Thanksgiving cranberry sauce bit for 20 years, I should be able to reuse a good bit for at list a couple of years. Each of these is intended as a Kavanah (intention), meditation, or just something to think about, as you light the Chanukah candles each night. Shamash Candle Day One Day Two Day Three Day Four Day Five Day Six Day Seven Day Eight Have a great Chanukah and a Happy New...

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Ohr Somayach :: Chanukah :: The Secret of the Dreidel

Ohr Somayach :: Chanukah :: The Secret of the Dreidel Who knew? The dreidle is actually an ancient storytelling device! A children’s game, played in the firelight of a cold winter night, the Chanukah Menorah silently glowing in the window… The dreidel. Its four sides spinning around the still point in the turning circle; spinning so fast that its sides blur into nothingness… The dreidel. So seemingly insignificant – and yet this little dreidel contains the story of the Jewish People; the history of the whole world… Learn more about the meaning dreidles than you thought ever existed. Heck, I just figured it was a good way to teach us to gamble as children! chanukah, hannukah, dreidles,...

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