Due to the proximity this year between Thanksgiving and Chanukah, we are encouraging families to use Thanksgiving as the Shamash – as the “spark” to kick off Chanukah joy.  As the Shamash on the chanukiah (Chanukah menorah) is used to light the other candles each night, so too do these Thanksgiving activities begin to light the celebration of Chanukah.  

We are providing one Thanksgiving “Shamash” activity for each of our pre-designated age cohorts. We recognize that some families may have children spanning across each target  group. We encourage you to take a look at each of the activities and adapt them for your family’s specific needs.

[Side note:  the Hebrew word for turkey is Hodu (הוֹדוּ) which also means “give thanks.”]