Macy*s to Host Chanukah Workshop Wonderland

BROOKLYN, NY [CHI] — World’s Greatest Department Store to Host Workshop Wonderland Celebrating World’s Greatest Miracle.

Kids Join Judah the Maccabee on the Macy’s Kids Floor for a Hands-On Olive-Press Workshop and Menorah Lighting Ceremony. Kids make Chanukah “Jewelites,” and receive their own Chanukah Gifts.

The Jewish Children’s Museum announced that they will be bringing their “Chanukah Wonderland” to the Macy’s Kids Floor in two separate Macy’s locations. The Children will meet Judah the Maccabee, who will lead Children in an olive-oil-press workshop, where they will be making their very own olive oil. The workshop will imitate the process the Macabees used 2,000 years ago, to make the refined oil they used to light the Menorah. Using real life olive presses, children will squeeze the oil that Judah will use to light the Menorah. Children will make “Jewelites” – decorating classic Chanukah images with bright Jewels – and receive Chanukah gifts.

The kids will use a real olive press, made of wood and cast iron. The children sort and hand-press fresh olives, then decant the olive juice to quickly extract the pure olive oil. As the olive oil is refined, the children will hand spin wicks out of cotton and then use the resulting oil to light the Chanukah Menorah with Judah. The kids will decorate Chanukah “Jewelites” and receive Chanukah gifts.

MACY’S in Manhasset December 2nd from 1-3 pm 1100 Northern Blvd Manhasset, NY 11030 Kids Floor. No charge.

MACY’S in Herald Square December 9th from 1-3pm 151 W 34th St, New York, NY 10001 Kids Floor No charge

The Chanukah holiday commemorates the Jews’ victory over the mighty Greek empire in the year 139 BCE. After the Greek king, Antiochus, issued oppressive anti-religious decrees against the Jews and desecrated the Holy Temple, a small band of warriors, the Maccabees, joined to fight him, against great odds. Following their miraculous victory, the Maccabees restored the Holy Temple and began to search for pure olive oil with which to kindle the Temple’s Menorah. Although they found only enough oil to light the Menorah for one day, the oil miraculously lasted for eight – hence, the eight-day Festival of Lights. For more information on Chanukah visit www.Chanukah.net.

In this high-tech fun fulfilled museum you won’t find any “do not touch” or “keep off” signs. Children are encouraged to make full use of the creative, hands-on exhibits such as a Sabbath dinner table big enough to walk on, a working television newsroom where they can file a report on the Chanukah story, a supermarket and kitchen where the rules of kosher come alive though role play, and a cityscape where faith, charity, and other concepts are presented in “real-life” settings. Designed to introduce children of all backgrounds to Jewish culture, the museum promotes tolerance through understanding.
Cost: $10 (children under 2 are free)