Rehovot Children Celebrated Eight Candle Hanukkah Lightening

There were a plenty of joy as Behor Levi Elementary School students and their parents gathered at the Weizmann Institute Youth Village to celebrate Hanukkah Day 8.



Hanukkah commemorates the victory of a group of Jewish revolutionaries known as the Maccabees over Assyrian forces that had set out to destroy Judaism and degrade the Temple in Jerusalem.

After the Jewish troops regained control of the area, they resolved to restore the Temple to a state of ritual purity. Even though they had only enough oil for a day, a miracle happened, and the small amount of oil burned for the eight days necessary to rededicate the Temple, according to Jewish tradition.

As part of the observance, many families say blessings and light candles on a special menorah each night in their homes. The singing of Hanukkah songs often follows the candle lighting.



The holiday is also a time when many extended families and communities gather, playing games such as dreidel, involving a four-sided spinning top inscribed with Hebrew words meaning "A great miracle happened there."

For many families, especially where Christmas gift giving is also observed, the children receive Hanukkah gifts.