As Hanukkah approaches (December 7-15), there’s never been a more important time to celebrate holidays with family, eat delicious fried foods and enjoy cozy get-togethers. Hanukkah, the Festival of Lights, is a fun, festive eight-day celebration best known for menorahs, latkes and dreidels and, this year, PJ Library looks to spread joy and smiles with their annual online Hanukkah Hub overflowing with hands-on activities, seasonal recipes, downloadable activities, book lists and much more.
For 2023, the ever-popular, resource-packed Hanukkah Hub has been updated with fun new crafts and activities, assuring there’s never a dull moment! Families will be able to embrace the Jewish values of curiosity, learning – and good food! — with new downloadable activities including building a Clay and Craft Stick Menorah, Color your own Dreidel Letters and Hanukkah Story Puppets and How to Play Dreidel, as well as 10 Easy (and Kid-Approved) Hanukkah Recipes with Hanukkah Stained Glass Cookies, kid favorite Sufganiyot Mini Donut Holes or Hidden Veggie Latkes. For those seeking a break with screentime, PJ Library also has specially curated a list of Hanukkah videos and movies to watch together, featuring the “Hanukkah Shaboom! Special”, “A Rugrats Chanukah” and more. And, as one of the largest free storybook programs in the world, we’d be remiss in not mentioning The Ultimate List of Books about Hanukkah offering up the very best in holiday page turners.
During a time when educating people of other walks and religions is of paramount importance, PJ Library also offers families tips on how to give an elementary or preschool classroom a crash course in Hanukkah with quick guides for teachers, parents and kids, as well as age-appropriate suggestions for activities and crafts, and a discussion guide. For parents seeking a deeper dive into the holiday, PJ Library offers a video from Dasee Berkowitz, author of “Becoming a Soulful Parent: A Path to Wisdom Within” offering practical and uplifting suggestions on how to make this Hanukkah celebration special.
PJ Library is a program of the Harold Grinspoon Foundation which delivers more than 670,000 free Jewish story books to kids around the world each month. The program hit a milestone in 2022 by shipping its 50 millionth book. Jewish families of all backgrounds at all levels of Jewish knowledge and observance may subscribe every child in their home to receive a new, age-appropriate book each month. PJ Library’s team of experts and educators curate the book list to provide the very best children’s stories that celebrate Jewish values, traditions, and culture to engage all Jewish families. And what could be a better gift than to receive a beautifully illustrated book arriving in the mailbox each month? To find out more, visit pjlibrary.org.
