Just in time for Hanukkah, which begins at sunset this Sunday, Marketing Jewru has added a brand new Hanukkah section. In addition to the traditional Hanukkah blessings, which appear in easy English transliteration and translation, the website offers short, inspirational readings for each night of candle-lighting, as well as two hilarious skits offering modern twists on the Hanukkah story. There’s also an easy guide to help every Jewish family make the most of the Festival of Lights holiday.
The skits include “The Oily Miracle of Hanukkah,” a modern imagining of that happens when two Maccabees and their wives come to clean up the desecrated Temple – only to encounter a talking pig on the altar – as well as “Judith and the Salty Cheese,” which puts a new spin on the story of Judith, one of the most wily and inspiring heroines of ancient times.
As for the nightly candle-lighting readings, they offer a way to apply the lessons of Hanukkah to today’s world. “People sometimes think of Hanukkah as a celebration of military victory, but it’s really not,” says Archie Gottesman, the Marketing Jewru’s creator. “It’s a celebration of the power people have to create a better world for themselves and others, and of the miracle of the oil that burned for eight days, against all odds. So the readings are about praying for peace, acceptance, forgiveness, gratitude and universal values we hold in our hearts.”
“Hanukkah is such a fun, joyous time,” Gottesman explains, “and we wanted to take full advantage of that by offering families material they can use to add to their own unique celebrations. The new skits are so much fun! We think people will have a great time acting them out, either informally by taking turns reading or with full-on props and assigned parts! And the inspirational readings we’ve added this year add extra meaning.”
All Hanukkah materials are available for free download at www.marketingjewru.com/hanukkah. The holiday begins at sundown on Sunday, Dec. 6 and runs through Monday, Dec. 14.
About the Marketing Jewru
Marketing Jewru provides a guide to better Jewish living that offers a number of innovative and inspiring materials, available for free download, to celebrate the holidays as well as everyday Jewish life.
