Hanukkah

In Jewish preschools, themes of light and dark are filling our classrooms. Our Jewish tradition speaks of how each human being is created b’tzelem Elohim, in the image of God, and as such, each child arrives with a spark of the Divine, and that this spark is part of who they are. When teachers see children through this lens, they stop asking, “how can I get this child to learn and fit in,” and start asking, “what is the light in this child and how can I nurture it to grow?”

This perspective is important in the early years when a child is developing a sense of self and identity. When children repeatedly hear through our words and actions that their ideas matter,they begin to understand that their presence makes the world a better and brighter place. 

Agency is the Oxygen for the Divine Spark

We know that a child’s inner light requires agency to grow. Agency means having real choices, a voice that is heard, and opportunities to influence what happens in the classroom. Without agency, that spark can smolder.

To help a spark truly ignite, we have to move away from doing things to children and more towards doing things with children.

Creating Classrooms that Feed the Fire

To create a classroom that invites light, the environment must be designed as a place where their choices truly matter. Provide materials that are open-ended, accessible, and displays that feature the work of children. The rhythms of the day should be a shared collaboration format that helps honor the spark.

Teachers:

• Write down children’s unique questions, 
• Photograph scenes of random acts of kindness, 
• Notice when the child’s inner light becomes visible and name it as holy. 

For example, tell a child that “when you invited your friend to play with you, you shared your light.” Over time, children will understand that the mitzvot they do, the acts of kindness and justice they engage in are natural expressions of the spark that resides within each of them.

From Inner Spark to Shared Light

This Hanukkah, when we place our candles in the window so that the light of Hanukkah can be shared, remember to notice the inner light of each child so it too, can be shared. Their agency becomes the way in which their individual divine sparks flow into relationships, their communities, and the world.

Dr. Tamar Andrews

American Jewish University

Masor School for Jewish Education and Leadership

Director of Early Childhood Education Programs

Associate Professor for BA ECE, MAEd ECE, EdD ECE Leadership

Hanukkah is a holiday filled with songs. We sing them with our children; we sing them when we’re lighting candles: everything from “Ma’oz Tzur” to “I Have a Little Dreidel” to “Ocho Kandelikas.” One song not typically associated with the holiday, though, is “Twinkle, Twinkle, Little Star.” That is, until now. 

When I wrote my children’s book, Twinkle, Twinkle, Hanukkah, I thought of pairing the nursery rhyme to the holiday because the image of a brightly shining little star was so fitting for Hanukkah. For a holiday that’s all about spreading more light, what could be more apropos? Much to my delight, I discovered that a book with a sing-song tune, a rhythm and cadence to follow makes it even more special, even more of a perfect holiday match. 

For even those too young to understand the words on the page, they know and love, “Twinkle, Twinkle, Little Star” and already recognize the melody before they even know what the song is about. I’ve found that those same children are excited to have their grownups read Twinkle, Twinkle, Hanukkah to them, because it feels familiar, comfortable, and even comforting. It’s like falling back into something they know, which is, of course, what our favorite books often provide—not to mention what the Jewish holidays at their most special can feel like as well.

This Hanukkah season, as we prepare our littlest ones for the light of the holiday, I hope my book becomes a part of that routine, helping Jewish children find the fun, the comfort, and the joy in song, in books, and most importantly, in Hanukkah itself. And I hope that teachers in classrooms everywhere can use it to that end, to bring the light of the season and the warmth of the holiday to all the children in their care.

Talia Benamy

 Editor and Backlist Manager 

Philomel/Penguin Random House 

Brooklyn, NY