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--- Happy Hanukkah! (http://www.gatchamania.net/threadid.php?threadid=1408)
Posted by Hinotori on 05-12-2007 at 00:57:
Happy Hanukkah!
Just wanted to wish a Happy Hanukkah to all our GatchaFriends who are celebrating!
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Hinotori
Eagle in Charge
Posted by Transmute Jun on 05-12-2007 at 01:27:
Happy Channukah!
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Posted by Ebonyswanne on 05-12-2007 at 01:31:
Please explain...I gather it's a Hawaii celebration...maybe.????
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Every child is an artist. The problem is how to remain an artist once we grow up- Pablo Picasso.
Posted by Transmute Jun on 05-12-2007 at 01:45:
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It is the Jewish Festival of Lights. 8 nights, beginning tonight, I believe.
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Posted by clouddancer on 05-12-2007 at 02:45:
Happy Channukah everyone.
And this reminds me, I am meant to be finding some Channukah art activities tonight for my class to do tomorrow. Ah, well, I guess I will do the search tomorrow.
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Posted by Ebonyswanne on 05-12-2007 at 03:11:
Oh, then Happy Hanukkah!
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Every child is an artist. The problem is how to remain an artist once we grow up- Pablo Picasso.
Posted by Sosai X on 05-12-2007 at 03:37:
Happy Chanukkah!
I live in a predominately Russian Jewish area so I will be getting some latkes (potato pancakes) to help celebrate. 
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Cheers,
Tim
Posted by Ebonyswanne on 05-12-2007 at 21:18:
I actually don't know any Jewish people...lots live over on the Nth Shore of Sydney though...
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Every child is an artist. The problem is how to remain an artist once we grow up- Pablo Picasso.
Posted by CricketBeautiful on 06-12-2007 at 16:25:
My aunt and her daughter are Jewish; my uncle is agnostic or humanist. Grandma made a big deal about inviting Cousin over for Christmas every year so she could see how the Christians do it (not that a bright kid like her would ever pick it up in school), and the one time my Aunt hosted Hanukkah and invited Grandma, we heard about it for years!
(Both Uncle and Aunt are high school teachers. They almost always asked my aunt to say Grace at the Christmas party. Then my uncle pointed out that the non-denomination prayer at graduation left out atheists, so they asked him (and he's agnostic)). (Dad goes with the flow, and the other brother is now Bhuddist. Reunions were more fun when their major differences were less significant.)
The Hanukkah story is really beautiful, and kids these days will sympathize with much of it. It's well-worth telling.
A small light in the window is also Jewish, but I'm not confident in explaining the significance. A really cool fact is that they can't work, including striking a spark or lighting a match, after sunset, so if you didn't turn the lights on before sunset you're left in the dark. The Hanukkah story can be simplified in the same way the Manger story is.
They don't put up lights outside around Christmas time; the story is about darkness and conservation. (I just realized that theme; that would make a really neat sermon!)
Dreidels are also fun; they're more cultural than religious, and an excuse to give them chocolate coins.
Jean Little's story about the Hanukkah Queen is beautiful, but it also bothers many Jews; it deals with the theme of being of a minority religion and whether it's right to change your religious customs so you're not left out. I wouldn't tell it unless I was ready to discuss the whole "Religion makes me different," and "Why does God ask me to do this, but He doesn't ask you?" issue. (A mother invents the Hanukkah Queen because her daughter is upset that Santa will go to all her friends' houses, but not hers.)
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In that space is our power to choose our response.
In our response lies our growth and our freedom.
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Posted by gatchgirl on 06-12-2007 at 17:41:
Thanks for the insight Cricket... I hope that all who are celebrating have a good time...
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Posted by Ebonyswanne on 06-12-2007 at 21:58:
Thanks for sharing cricket!
I'm not a religious person, just a born again christen. But I like to know about why people do things in their beliefs, and I respect other cultures.
You can't change the world to suit your own ideals.(Though some people I know would argue with that.) But basic human rights applies to all of us. Anyway enough of my ideas.
I remember the movie "Shindlers list" was good at showing the Jewish culture, say and moving in it's telling...
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Every child is an artist. The problem is how to remain an artist once we grow up- Pablo Picasso.
Posted by Sosai X on 06-12-2007 at 22:11:
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This is the case on every Sabbath (Sundown Friday to Sundown Saturday). I often see the men and young boys in their black suits and hats walking to the Temple on Friday Evenings. I've lost count of the number of temples on this section of Bathurst Street (North York, Toronto) alone.
A while ago someone told me of an apartment building in this area that is home to mostly Orthodox Jews. They have the elevator rigged up so on the Sabbath, it stops on every floor without anyone actually hitting a button. That way they can use the elevator (it is a high-rise apartment) without doing "work".
I have a bagel shop down the street from me that has the best bagels and Eastern European-styled pastries... mmmmmm
Shalom
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Cheers,
Tim
Posted by Hinotori on 06-12-2007 at 22:39:
Wow, Cricket, you have quite an intersting family there!!
Just a couple things I wanted to clarify in your explaination above...
Hanukkah is the Festival of Lights. The extremely short version of the story is when the Temple in Jerusalem was rededicated, there was only enough oil to light the candelbra for one night. In biblical times, it took eight days to manufacture oil. Well, the miracle of the holiday is that the oil lasted for the entire 8 days, until new oil was available. (hence the "festival of lights")
Hanukkah actually means "dedication" and the holiday is to remember the Greek's oppression of the Jews; Judah Maccabee, his revolt, and subsequent victory against them; the rededication of the temple; and the miracle of the lights.
For the full story and traditions of the holiday, go to:
http://www.jewfaq.org/holiday7.htm
Or for the children's version (the storey may be a little easier to follow):
http://www.jewishpub.org/children/hanukkah/
Also, just to clarify... With the not working thing, that would be on the Sabbath and significant holidays (the Sabbath goes from sundown Friday night to sundown Saturday night - all Jewish holidays and the Sabbath go sundown to sundown). The Sabbath is considered a day of rest (the 7th day when G-d rested - Christians interpreted it as Sunday, Jews interpreted it as Friday night-Saturday night). Any other time Jewish people are allowed to work, cook, clean, strike fire, etc. Today it's mostly the Orthodox who still follow this tradition. Most Conservatives and Reform practitioners drive, shop, cook, etc., on the Sabbath.
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Hinotori
Eagle in Charge
Posted by Ebonyswanne on 06-12-2007 at 23:20:
You guys know so much about this, I can see there are big jewish populations in your areas.
Where I live it's mostly Christen and Muslim...(The part of Sydney.) Some Chinese religions and thats about it...
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Every child is an artist. The problem is how to remain an artist once we grow up- Pablo Picasso.
Posted by Transmute Jun on 07-12-2007 at 01:51:
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Just to clarify, the early Christians (who were Jews) agreed that Saturday was the seventh day when God rested. That's why Sunday is considered the first day of the week. But Christians chose Sunday as their day of worship to remember that Jesus was raised from the dead on a Sunday morning.
And in the more stringent Christian sects they can't 'work' on Sunday either. I also remember reading a lot about this in the Little House on the Prairie series, among others.
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Posted by Ebonyswanne on 07-12-2007 at 10:49:
Yeah I read about that...I have friends that are seventh day adventist, they have the Sabbath off and go to church then...We just go on Sunday...
I know I spelt Christian wrong didn't I TJ! Bad Ebony... whack on the hand!
TJ...You got your Christian eduction from "Little house on the Prairie."!!!! That was one of my fav's as a little kid!
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Every child is an artist. The problem is how to remain an artist once we grow up- Pablo Picasso.
Posted by Hinotori on 07-12-2007 at 11:46:
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I stand corrected! I guess I should have realized that... It does make perfect sense!
Little House on the Prairie is one of my favorites children's book series (probably right behind Harry Potter). I just re-read the entire series only a couple years ago. You get a whole new perspective when you read it as an adult.
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Hinotori
Eagle in Charge
Posted by Hinotori on 07-12-2007 at 11:49:
Ack!! Did I just say I was an adult?? Bad Hinotori, bad!! 
Where's that Toys 'R Us jingle? Oh, here it is...
I don't wanna grow up
I'm a Toys R Us kid.....
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Hinotori
Eagle in Charge
Posted by Transmute Jun on 07-12-2007 at 14:06:
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Well, that, and going to Sunday school. But we Lutherans weren't as strict as Little House on the Prairie.
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Posted by Transmute Jun on 07-12-2007 at 14:07:
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Me too! Of course I have an EXCUSE.... because I've been reading to my daughter. But is it truly and excuse if I'm reading ahead?
I hope to introduce her to A Little Princess next, and then Harry Potter.
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