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You are here: Home / Archives for Interfaith

Interfaith

Your Essential Guide to Exploring Hanukkah with Kids

Alissa Ellett Leave a Comment

Explore Hanukkah with kids this holiday season and teach them invaluable lessons about being human and our collective quest for God.

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It’s December! How?? I’m not sure. Time flies when you’re having fun planning, shopping, cooking, eating and traveling. I hope you’re already enjoying a rich holiday season, making space for all those traditions you love.

What’s your favorite holiday tradition you just can’t celebrate without? Tell us in the comments below!

And speaking of traditions, I’ve got a whole bunch to tell you about Hanukkah.

Confusion About Hanukkah

Quite frankly, Hanukkah (or Chanukah) is commonly misunderstood by Christians. Often, we may imagine it’s sort of the Jewish equivalent of Christmas. It’s easy to understand why, since the two celebrations fall so close to one another.

But, what is Hanukkah really about? How can we help our children understand its story? And why talk about it with them?

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Why Explore Hanukkah with Kids?

First, religious pluralism is simply a reality of our world. Second, our children can more deeply appreciate others’ faiths and their own when they learn another religion’s traditions.

Since Christmas is celebrated so readily by those who follow and shun Christianity, its festivities can overshadow the beauty of Hanukkah. And many who aren’t Jewish aren’t raised knowing Hanukkah’s meaning or significance.

So, how can we answer children’s questions when we don’t know much of anything about the holiday? Don’t worry, ICM’s got you covered.

Historical Roots of Hanukkah

Around 200 B.C., when the Israelites were living under Egyptian rule, Antiochus of Syria invaded Judea. He demanded the Israelites give up their religion and worship Greek gods. Then, he took over the Temple in Jerusalem and dedicated it to Zeus.

Consequently, Judah Maccabee, one of the Israelites, led an army to fight against Syrian rule. After pushing the Syrians out, they reclaimed the Temple in Jerusalem and began clearing it of their oppressors’ faith symbols.

While doing so, the Israelites found a tiny container of oil that could light the eternal flame they always kept lit in the Temple. They knew the oil they had would only be enough to burn for one night. Instead, to their surprise, it burned for eight nights until they could get more.

Hanukkah is the celebration of these 8 nights, the victory over the Syrian army, and God’s faithful provision to the Israelite people.

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Fun Facts About Hanukkah

  • The Apocrypha, not the Old Testament, outlines the story of Hanukkah.
  • Hanukkah is eight nights long.
  • A 9-armed menorah (or candelabra), called a hanukkiah, is lit each night of Hanukkah.
  • The hanukkiah has one candle for each of the eight nights and one candle to light all the others.
  • Hanukkah is also known as the Festival of Lights.
  • Fried foods, including latkes and jelly doughnuts, are eaten because they require oil for cooking.
  • Some families give a present to one another each of the eight nights.
  • Children and their families play a game with a wooden top called a dreidel.

Learning from Religious Tradition

Religious tradition is the response to an experience of the Divine that becomes rooted in a faith community’s practice. Consequently, we learn about ourselves and God when we explore religious traditions.

Just beneath the surface of a community’s traditions are treasures that have the potential to form and inform.

As a result, we give children a gift when we teach them about religious tradition. Throughout our human story, we have meandered after, beside and within the Divine. Each era and place give way to different ways of knowing God.

So, when we shed light on a religious tradition, like Hanukkah, we learn how people have known God during our human story. Then, we can bring together our own life experience with the knowledge of another time and place, and find new ways of understanding ourselves and God.

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Talking About Hanukkah with Children

When we teach children the beauty held within Hanukkah we do several things.

We teach that God is ever-present, across all time and place. Stories of those who have quested after God teach children that in all the yesterdays, God was there. We help them understand that God is and will always be everywhere.

We teach that God protects and provides. Discussing the story of Hanukkah with kids teaches them that God protected the Israelites and gave them even more than they could have imagined. Children learn that this was true then, as well as now.

We teach the power of staying true to what one values. The story of Hanukkah tells of the Israelites risking their lives to protect their community and way of life. Children learn that no one should ever be made to withstand religious oppression and that one’s actions can help others for generations to come.

We teach that we’re all part of a widespread family of God-seekers. Teaching religious traditions, especially practices outside one’s own heritage, points to the way humanity together quests for God. Children learn that no matter their religion they are part of an even bigger faith family than they realized.

We hope you’ve found this helpful in your own learning and in imagining how you might gift your kids with even more depth and beauty this Hanukkah and beyond. Happy celebrating!

Don’t forget to tell us what your favorite holiday tradition is in the comments below!

5 Enchanting Interfaith Children’s Books for Families to Explore

Alissa Ellett Leave a Comment

Interfaith children’s books are a fantastic resource to have on your bookshelf in your home or classroom.

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Our interconnected world exposes us all to ideas and perspectives that differ from our own. This is truer now than it has ever been before. The neighbors next door and friends at school may practice a faith that is not our own. As children develop, they begin to notice these differences and become curious about them.

By the age of 5 children have developed an image of God, whether they’ve been given religious instruction or not. Since we read to our children about numbers, letters, colors, shapes, animals, why not read to them about spirituality?

In doing so, we validate and offer them language for what they already come into the world knowing to be true. We then encourage that their minds and souls remain open to the work of God all around them.

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For parents, however, it can be difficult to know what to say or how to say it. A great place to start is with a selection of interfaith children’s books. They use simple words to describe complex concepts, which is helpful for parents and children alike.

Additionally, these books open up the opportunity to talk with children about theology, belief, inclusion, identity. Also, when we learn about other traditions, we often become appreciative of aspects unique to our faith community we may have otherwise taken for granted.

Yet, interfaith children’s books that will offer these gifts to our families can be difficult to find. With all the options available, it isn’t always clear what titles will be helpful. So, we’ve put together a list of a few for you to explore. You could even take these on your summer road trip for some fun reading and conversation.

If you have interfaith children’s books on your shelves that you enjoy, share below in the comments. We love hearing from you!

God’s Dream

interfaith children's books 103God’s Dream by Archbishop Desmond Tutu and Douglas Carlton Abrams is a beautiful explanation of the power of forgiveness and the value of unity amidst diversity. The book describes common scenarios that children experience to teach the art of compassion and models forgiving others when they hurt us. Additionally, the book teaches that though we may look and speak differently and worship in various ways, we are all part of the same family as God’s children.

Illustrator LeUyen Pham uses vibrant colors and a range of perspectives to engage the reader and communicate the themes of the text. The illustrations are beautiful, unique, and memorable.

Children 2 years old and up will find this book fun to read and easy to track with. Older children can engage with the themes covered and will be able to reflect on their own experiences through reading it. They could have conversations not only about their own lives but the dynamics at play in the world could also be a conversation with older children also as a result of reading this together.

What Is God’s Name?

Interfaith Children's Books 105What Is God’s Name? by Rabbi Sandy Eisenberg Sasso is an adaptation for younger children of her other title, In the Name of God. This book is designed for children ages 2-4. It’s a great place to start with young children to help them think about the different ways we personify God and why.

The book begins just after creation. Then, the author goes on to describe the search for God’s name. In doing so, she shows how our own unique experiences give rise to the way we imagine God. For example, the author writes, “The farmer called God Source of Life.”

Phoebe Stone, the book’s illustrator, uses bright color and dynamic form to give movement to figures. Although the figures’ faces and skin tones are at times a bit strange to my eye, the overall presentation is engaging and memorable.

God’s Paintbrush

Interfaith Children's Books 106God’s Paintbrush, another title by Sandy Sasso, invites children of all faiths and backgrounds to encounter God openly through moments in their own lives by way of fantasy, involvement, and imagination. Also, this book helps the adults who love them to be a part of that encounter.

The pages provide a gift of images by Annette Compton that nurtures and encourages children in making meaning of their world. The images are created in such a way that children may identify with the style as one they might paint in.

It remains one of the most popular spiritual books for children of all faiths and all backgrounds, ages 4-8. The special anniversary edition that was released in 2004 includes new ideas for interaction between adults and children and an important message from the author.

What Is God?

Interfaith Children's Books 107What Is God? by Etan Boritzer is an eloquent introduction to the ideas behind God and religion, and brings forward complex ideas in a way children will understand. It is written with simple clarity and beautifully illustrated with just the right blend of seriousness and humor.

What is God? compares different religions – Christianity, Islam, Judaism, Hinduism, Buddhism – and their holy books, looks at misunderstandings and arguments among people of different religions, and talks about praying as well as feeling connected to everything in the world.

Robbie Marantz illustrates the book in a bright, expressive tone. He uses a style that is accessible to children and one they would find easy to engage with. Children ages 6-12 and those who nurture them will find lots to explore together.

When God Was a Little Girl

Interfaith Children's Books 108When God Was a Little Girl by David R. Weiss is a refreshing and innovative take on the creation of the universe. The narrative takes place within a conversation between daughter and father as they weave together the story of creation. The words on the page offer gentle wisdom and genuine insight.

Illustrator Joan Hernandez Lindeman paints pictures for each of the creative acts that include young girls of diverse cultural backgrounds. She uses intense color for each illustration, each unique and expressive of divine joy and love.

Best for children ages 4-8, this book offers such beautifully imaginative ideas about the nature of God and creation.


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What are you reading?

Don’t forget to share in the comments below what interfaith children’s books you’re sharing with your kids. All of us would love to know, so we can add even more titles to our bookshelves!

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