We’ll enjoy all of your favorite Hanukkah activities and a few new ones. Bring a dish to share along with your menorah and candles, and celebrate the Festival of Lights together! If you would like to help, please reach out to Jewish Life Coordinator Jack Mintzer at jewishlife@berithsholomtroy.org.
Kitchen Fairy Cary Oshins will be frying latkes for the Hanukkah Dinner at 2 p.m. if you can help reach out by call/text (484) 547-1521 or email caryoshins@gmail.com. Volunteers are always welcome!
This Hanukkah, our Religious School students (and it’s also open to the community) are taking part in a special Family Artifact Project designed to help them explore and celebrate their Jewish heritage. Each student is invited to discover an object, story, or keepsake that has been cherished in their family and carried forward l’dor va-’dor—from generation to generation.
Students are encouraged to look around their homes or a relative’s home for a meaningful family artifact. This might be a ritual object such as candlesticks, a Kiddush cup, or a tallit; a family photograph; an old letter or document; a cookbook; a piece of Judaica; or any item that reflects their family’s unique Jewish journey. The goal is to choose something that feels important to their heritage and personal story.
As part of the project, students will interview one or two family members to learn more about their chosen artifact. Using the traditional 5 W’s—Who, What, When, Where, and Why—they will explore the history of the item, the people connected to it, and why it has been preserved over time. These conversations help students understand how memories and traditions are passed down within families and within the Jewish people.
Students may choose one of three ways to share what they’ve learned:
Image: A photo of the artifact with answers to the W questions
Text: A written description with the W questions answered
Object: Bringing the artifact itself to the Hanukkah dinner (if safe to transport)
Some people may enjoy completing more than one option.
All artifacts—whether the actual objects or printed descriptions and photos—will be displayed during our Hanukkah Dinner, allowing our whole community to appreciate the rich, diverse histories that make up Congregation Berith Sholom. Together, we’ll celebrate the stories, traditions, and memories that shape who we are.
167 Third Street
Troy, NY
12180
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