Customer Reviews

Chanukah: A Joyous Celebration with CD (Audio) (Booknotes)

5 star:		(1)
4 star:		(0)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

This 56-page book was written in 1998, and contains chapters such as "The Story of Chanukah"; "The Lights of Chanukah"; "Foods of Chanukah"; "The Dreidel"; "Chanukah Gelt," and "Maoz Tsur" (Rock of Ages).

The music on the accompanying CD is from Chanukkah in Story and Song by The Western Wind.

Here are some quotations from the book:

"When Mattathias died, leadership shifted to Judah, who was known as The Maccabee. No one is certain of the derivation of the word Maccabee... perhaps the word reflects the similar Hebrew word for hammer, describing the hammer-like blows Judah inflicted upon the Syrians." (Pg. 12-13)
"When we think of Chanukah we immediately think of oil burning for eight days, but this may be only a legend. The story of the oil does not appear in the Books of Maccabees, although oil is mentioned in the Talmud several hundred years later." (Pg. 16)
"The (Chanukah) menorah could not have seven branches because that would represent the menorah in the Temple in Jerusalem." (Pg 24)
"Because of its antiquity, the menorah is justifiably the most authentic symbol of the State of Israel, rather than the Star of David, which became popular only a century ago." (Pg. 30)
"What is Chanukah without a dreidel? ... The dreidel game is a form of gambling." (Pg. 45)