Beginning with a pre-Hanukkah warm-up of dreidel playing with BBYO teens at their Better Together meeting on Sunday, Dec. 14, Handmaker residents have had very full days and nights of Hanukkah.
The Young Explorers from Kol Ami Synagogue, which included several families with children aged 2-8, joined Kol Ami’s Cantor Jen Benrey for a first night Hanukkah celebration. Handmaker residents enjoyed visiting with these young families, singing Hanukkah songs, playing dreidel, and lighting the first candle on the Menorah.
Rabbi Samuel Cohon from Congregation Beit Simcha led the second night blessings and sang songs at Handmaker while his father, Handmaker resident Rabbi Baruch Cohon, accompanied him on the piano. Ayelet Cohon was the real star, as she danced and spun along to the holiday tunes.
More than a dozen kindergarten through third-grade students from the Tucson Torah Center came by on the third day of Hanukkah to play Hanukkah bingo and dreidel with residents, as well as to sing and dance for them.
After an afternoon of learning about all the winter holidays and making holiday cards in the “Around the World” class, the Rubin Living Room was filled with song during a performance by the Kol Simcha choir. Residents enjoyed listening to and singing along to some familiar holiday songs, as well as a few that they had not heard before.
A performance by Tucson Hebrew Academy students on the fourth day of Hanukkah wowed residents. Led by Cantor Janece Cohen and Rami Yadid, the students were “as talented as they were cute,” according to Handmaker resident Karen Green. Rona Mandel wondered if we could bottle up some of their energy so that they could share it!
For the fifth night, candles will be lit during a visit with several volunteering young families, followed by a piano recital by some of the young visitors, and of course, a few rounds of dreidel playing.
Shabbat Hanukkah dinner will include latkes after the menorah lightings. Sunday candle lightings will include the annual performance and sing-along with the Jurkowitz family. And on the last day of Hanukkah, Handmaker will welcome Rabbi Avi Alpert and pianist David Wien for a holiday concert for all.
So much joy and light packed into the eight days and nights of Hanukkah! To be a part of it as a volunteer, contact Nanci Levy at [email protected] for more information.
