Posted to Chabad News on
Canadian Jewish News

MONTREAL, Canada — Maccabees!, an interactive performance about Chanukah for children, which drew 15,000 when it premiered at the Jewish Children's Museum in Brooklyn, N.Y., last year is coming to Montreal.

More pictures in the Extended Article!

Maccabees in Montreal!

Canadian Jewish News

MONTREAL, Canada — Maccabees!, an interactive performance about Chanukah for children, which drew 15,000 when it premiered at the Jewish Children’s Museum in Brooklyn, N.Y., last year is coming to Montreal.

More pictures in the Extended Article!

It’s being presented by Living Legacy, a Montreal-based program of the Lubavitch movement that sets up model matzah factories and other hands-on learning experiences for kids throughout the year.

Maccabees! audiences are guided through sets in seven different rooms, where a cast of nine costumed actors tell the story of Chanukah and its lessons. Plenty of special effects are used as well. The children do not simply watch, but are actual players in many scenes.

The production’s assistant director, Rabbi Yisroel Bernath, promises that children will have an adventure they won’t forget. The director is Rabbi Pinny Gniwisch, who is already beloved by many schoolchildren for his other Living Legacy programs.

At the first stop, they meet a professor (Rabbi Bernath) who prepares them for a journey they are about to take on his time machine to ancient Judea. They will see an argument between Hellenist Jews and those who are against assimilation.

They will be taken away by Greek soldiers to the villainous King Antiochus’ palace, learn the origin of driedel playing among the oppressed Jews, and meet the hero Judah Maccabee, who battles those who wish to destroy Jewish religious freedom.

They will see the reclaimed Holy Temple in ruins and help clean it up, and then search for the jar of oil that will miraculously rekindle the Holy Menorah.

At the end, the children can enjoy doughnuts that they decorate themselves. All told, the visit lasts an hour.

“I used to be a classroom teacher,” said Rabbi Bernath, “and I couldn’t stand just standing up and talking to the students. Experiential learning is the best education.”

The reviews were positive in New York.

“Maccabees! was that extra dimension I was looking for to make the story of Chanukah come alive for my students,” wrote Susan Feiner, a Rockland County, N.Y., teacher.

“The story takes on a life of its own,” commented Rabbi Boruch Zeidman, a teacher from Brooklyn, N.Y. “You’re not watching the show- you are the show. Just an incredible experience.”

Maccabees!, which is intended for children from six to 14 year old, runs from Nov. 19 to Dec. 13 at 4054 Jean Talon St. W., a 10,000-square-foot storefront.

For further information, call Rabbi Bernath at 514 344-2424, ext. 27 or 514-686-6770, or visit the website www.maccabees07.com which includes a trailer.

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36 Comments

  • Zvi Great Work!

    Zvi Peretz:

    Look your work is traveling aroung the world. When are you going to write your next great show. These will make history.

  • FREIND

    YYYYYYYUUUUUUUUUDDDDDDDDDAAAAAAAAA!!!!!!!!
    you rock the house!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

  • TULLY K

    shuli kahan even though your not in the pic’s we still know who made it happen and next time make sure they take a pic’s of you :)

  • Duby Litvin

    hey Chaim (litvin)
    you look amazing !!!! i have no doubt you were the star of the show …

    congrats on the wonderful success of the show !!!!! keep up the great work ..

  • gr8est nieces/nephew

    uncle shuli…way to go… can’t wait to see you.
    zevi, benny, faygie, minni

  • Eli Wilansky

    many thanks to Dovid Russ, Mendel Fine, Isser New, Chaim Litvin, the other guys whu i dont know yet lol and everybody els that helpt make it happen wish i was there you guys did a great job!!!!

  • Fan of Russ

    Dovid, awesome job on the props! Can’t wait til you’re back in the ‘hood. Dal’e Boca!

  • The Chevreh

    sholomke and shuli . we cant wait till u guys get back to crown heights. we miss you here.

  • HUGE FAN

    I saw the show today, it was the first public show day, and it was UNBELIEVABLE!!! Keep up the good work, Yasher Koach to Rabbi Pinny Gniwisch, Rabbi Yisroel Bernath and Rabbi Dovid Russ, and to all the other Rabbis and Bochurs who were involved with this amazing production..

  • Benny/Yosef

    Unbelievable job!!! The props are the best props of any of these types of shows thus far.
    I was so impressed.
    Keep up the awesome work rocking Montreal.

  • Dovid

    I was at a show on Sunday. Let me tell you I have never seen anything of this magnitude in Lubavitch. It was an unbelievable kiddush hashem.

    I thought it would be very similar to the show I saw in New York last year and it was not at all. The show beats the New York show by far.

    The Professor was much, much better and the video in the time machine was fantastic. I really like how the Jew gets caught in one scene, dragged before the king in the next one and thne saved by yehudah macabee in the next.

    The story flows very nicely, it coem sout very clear and the message is perfect.

    I loved the driedel rap addition, as well as the hellenist song, it really gives the show a lot of flavor and personality that it was missing last year.

    That little fat Jew was hillarious. I give the show five thumbs up. Keep up the great work!

  • the old man

    dovid,
    incredible sound/lighting control. the behind the scene action is dizzying

    cast,
    you guys are a barrel of fun. keep up the great work !!!

  • leizer

    wow leizer era fantastico sto scrivendo commenti a me stesso perche oggi hanno cancellato tutti i shows a causa della neve e ono annoiat ovviamente