Use of Menorah (Hanukiah) | Miracle of oil | Brave Judah Macabee

Channukah: Olive Oil

Motivational Tools:

Children are curious by nature.  All lessons should have a motivation to learn what is introduced via various curiosities.  This lesson should have available various bottles of olive oil and green olive.  Pictures from websites are helpful too that show the olive in its natrural environment on a tree or freshly picked. Ancient olive presses as pictures would also be helpful to better convey the concept of making olive oil.

Lesson Plan:

1. Teacher holds up a picture of olives or a jar of olives.  “How does an olive become olive olil?  Allow the children to share what they know. This would be a good time to show pictures of ancient olive presses.  I have on occasion hired the local Chabad outreach person to give an authentic olive oil press demonstration.  Well worth the expense.  It is memorable and quite hands on!
   
   
2. The Jewish people use special olive oil during the holiday of Chanukkah to light something special? See if they can recall the lighting of the menorah.
   
   
3. At this point reading a Chanukkah story that includes the specific information of how the holy lamp in the Temple long ago stayed lit for a miraculous 8 days when only a small amount of oil was left to light the lamps.
   
   
4. A discussion could be created how we get light now (electric) but how oil lit lamps in the ancient days. 

Reinforcement Activities:

Purchase an inexpensive oil lit menorah and demonstrate how the wicks are placed in the oil.  Many websites carry these unique lamps, but always use exteme supervision and never leave a lit wick unattended.  Blow out the wick when you are through.