A regular Sunday meeting of the teen program “DJCY – STL Teens – EnerJew” took place in the informal education space of the Dnipro Jewish Community, located on the eighth floor of the “Menorah” center. The program is implemented by the Dnipro Jewish Community with the support of STL and the JRNU Foundation’s project, EnerJew, and this time it was dedicated to the approaching holiday of Hanukkah.
On the eve of the holiday, the meeting participants, together with the hosts, delved into the history of Hanukkah, turning to the era of the Maccabees and the spiritual and historical trials that form the basis of the holiday. To help the teenagers not only hear the story but also feel the atmosphere of those times, a thematic quest was prepared for them.
The participants divided into teams and went through four stations, completing tasks for which they earned “currency.” The teenagers answered questions about Hanukkah, figured out which hanukkiah is kosher, then created their own hanukkiahs from plasticine, assembled a puzzle with quotes from sages and the Torah, guessed words related to the holiday in the game “Elias,” and played with a dreidel (sevivon). All teams successfully completed the tasks, demonstrating teamwork, knowledge of traditions, and a creative approach.
The finale of the quest was a Hanukkah auction, during which the participants could spend their earned “money” to purchase ingredients for decorating doughnuts. This part of the meeting proceeded in an especially warm and joyful atmosphere, becoming a bright and tasty conclusion to the session.
At the end of the meeting, the teenagers agreed that throughout all the days of Hanukkah, they would share in a common chat how they light the Hanukkah candles, supporting each other and maintaining the festive mood. The Sunday meeting concluded with joint wishes for a joyful and bright holiday – “Chag Hanukkah Sameach!”
