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Where is the Menorah? - A journey following the temple Menorah

In this lesson, we will discover ancient and modern Menorahs that can be found in Jerusalem and Israel, and we'll learn that the origin of all of these Menorahs in the Menorah that stood in the Temple – the basis of the story of the miracle of the jug of oil on Hannukah.

Lesson plan - Where is the Menorah? - A journey following the temple Menorah

Subject:

Sequence Name:

תשפ"ב-תשפ"ג 2022

Video Name:

Grade Group:

1-2

Objectives:

The students will identify the Kohen Gadol's Menorah from a variety of Menorahs
The students will watch a clip through which they will learn about different types of Menorahs in Jerusalem
The students will identify different Menorahs through a Bingo game.

Lesson Summary:

At the beginning of the lesson, the students will receive a riddle that tells them that the Kohen Gadol lost his Menorah and that he needs their help to find it. The students will need to solve the riddle in order to find out what the Kohen Gadol's Menorah looks like and to pick it out from a group of different Menorahs.
Afterwards, the students will split off into groups and will identify different Menorahs displayed on cards.
The students will also see a clip that will teach them about the different kinds of Menorahs in Jerusalem. Finally, the class will prepare a big, illuminating Menorah together.

Knowledge Acquired:

The students will get to know different kinds of menorahs that can be found in Jerusalem and Israel, and will learn about their meaning and uses.

Personal/Social Value Learned:

The students will talk about the meaning of the menorah for the Jewish nation throughout history, and will express the meaning of the light of the menorah in each one of them as an individual, and as part of the Jewish nation.

Elements of the Lesson:

Introduction - Riddle.
Task – Finding the Menorah.
Film
Menorah Bingo.
Summary & Craft.

Start of lesson:

The lesson will begin with the students receiving a riddle. The riddle will tell them that the Kohen Gadol lost his Menorah and that he is asking the students to help him find it and to light it according to the description that appears in the riddle.

Part One: 10 min

Every student or pair of students will receive a page that shows different types of Menorahs. Only one Menorah answers all the requirements of the Kohen Gadol's Menorah. According to the description that appears in the riddle, the students will need to identify the Kohen Gadol's Menorah.

The teacher will explain that the light of the Menorah was unique. It has no equivalent in other cultures. The light had an aspect of centrality, that expressed the centrality of the Bet Hamikdash,Temple in the lives of the Jewish people in that time period. In the same way, the symbol of the Menorah encapsulates the centrality of the Land of Israel for the Jewish people in our days.

Part Two: 10 min

We will watch the clip – The story of the Menorah and the miracle of Chanukah

Part Three: 5 min

Menorah Bingo
Attached:
6 printable colorful Bingo boards, list of questions.
Questions for Menora Bingo:
1. I am on the Arch of Titus in Rome – The Menorah on the Arch of Titus
2. I am part of the State of Israel's symbol – The State symbol
3. I am located in the Old City and belong to the Temple Institute – The Temple Institute Menorah
4. I am on a ten agorot coin – Ten agorot coin
5. I am in the Knesset courtyard- The Knesset Menora
6. I am on an ancient mosaic – Shalom al Yisrael synagogue
7. I am a plant that resembles a Menorah – Menorah plant
8. I am on an ancient coin – Ancient Hasmonean coin
9. I am the symbol of a football group – the symbol of the Beitar Yerushalayim football group

Part Four: 15 min

Summary & Craft:
The teacher will explain that beyond the historical significance of the Menorah, it is also a meaningful symbol for the Jewish people. It appears in different ways throughout history and was even chosen to be the symbol of the state. The Menorah represents resurrection. It is a reminder that the Jewish people stands strong. Its light gives strength and support.
Just as the light of the Menorah is symbolic for the Jewish people, and serves as a source of connection, so too each one of us has his own light that can serve as a source of help and support for those surrounding him. The task is to write what your strong characteristics are, that provide light that can contribute to the class, those that make you unique. Through a drawing, song or story.
Each student will receive a note with "the light that is within me" written on it. After each student will express, on the note, his light, we will stick the notes on the base of the big Menorah. In doing so, we will create one Menorah that is made up of all of our unique lights.

Part Five - Summary and Creation: min

Expansion materials:

Subject:

Sequence Name:

תשפ"ב-תשפ"ג 2022

Video Name:

Grade Group:

5-6

Objectives:

The students will identify the Beit Ha Mikdash Menorah from a variety of Menorahs
The students will watch a clip through which they will learn about different types of Menorahs in Jerusalem
The students will identify different Menorahs through a bingo game

Lesson Summary:

At the beginning of the lesson, the students will receive a riddle that tells them that the Kohen Gadol lost his Menorah and that he needs their help to find it. The students will need to solve the riddle in order to find out what the Kohen Gadol's Menorah looks like and to pick it out from a group of different Menorahs.
Afterwards, the students will learn about different types of Menorahs via a bingo game.
The students will also see a clip that will teach them about the different kinds of Menorahs in Jerusalem. Finally, the class will prepare a big, illuminating Menorah together.

Knowledge Acquired:

The students will get to know different kinds of menorahs that can be found in Jerusalem and Israel, and will learn about their meaning and uses.

Personal/Social Value Learned:

Elements of the Lesson:

Introduction - Riddle.
Task – Finding the Menorah.
Clip
Menorahs research - group work
Summary & Craft.

Start of lesson:

Part One: 10 min

Part Two: 10 min

We will watch the clip – The story of the Menorah and the miracle of Chanukah.

Part Three: 5 min

The students will be split into groups and will identify different Menorahs – 13 cards, each one displaying a Menorah, some background and some leading questions.

Part Four: 15 min

Summary & Craft:
The teacher will explain that beyond the historical significance of the Menorah, it is also a meaningful symbol for the Jewish people. It appears in different ways throughout history and was even chosen to be the symbol of the state. The Menorah represents resurrection. It is a reminder that the Jewish people stands strong. Its light gives strength and support.
Just as the light of the Menorah is symbolic for the Jewish people, and serves as a source of connection, so too each one of us has his own light that can serve as a source of help and support for those surrounding him. The task is to write what your strong characteristics are, that provide light that can contribute to the class, those that make you unique. Through a drawing, song or story.
Each student will receive a note with "the light that is within me" written on it.
After each student will express, on the note, his light, we will stick the notes on the base of the big Menorah. In doing so, we will create one Menorah that is made up of all of our unique lights.

Part Five - Summary and Creation: min

Expansion materials:

Subject:

Sequence Name:

תשפ"ב-תשפ"ג 2022

Video Name:

Grade Group:

3-4

Objectives:

The students will identify the Beit Ha Mikdash Menorah from a variety of Menorahs
The students will watch a clip through which they will learn about different types of Menorahs in Jerusalem
The students will identify different Menorahs through a bingo game

Lesson Summary:

At the beginning of the lesson, the students will receive a riddle that tells them that the Kohen Gadol lost his Menorah and that he needs their help to find it. The students will need to solve the riddle in order to find out what the Kohen Gadol's Menorah looks like and to pick it out from a group of different Menorahs.
Afterwards, the students will learn about different types of Menorahs via a bingo game.
The students will also see a clip that will teach them about the different kinds of Menorahs in Jerusalem. Finally, the class will prepare a big, illuminating Menorah together.

Knowledge Acquired:

The students will get to know different kinds of menorahs that can be found in Jerusalem and Israel, and will learn about their meaning and uses.

Personal/Social Value Learned:

Elements of the Lesson:

Introduction - Riddle.
Task – Finding the Menorah.
Clip
Menorahs research - group work
Summary & Craft.

Start of lesson:

Part One: 10 min

Part Two: 10 min

We will watch the clip – The story of the Menorah and the miracle of Chanukah.

Part Three: 5 min

The students will be split into groups and will identify different Menorahs – 13 cards, each one displaying a Menorah, some background and some leading questions.

Part Four: 15 min

Summary & Craft:
The teacher will explain that beyond the historical significance of the Menorah, it is also a meaningful symbol for the Jewish people. It appears in different ways throughout history and was even chosen to be the symbol of the state. The Menorah represents resurrection. It is a reminder that the Jewish people stands strong. Its light gives strength and support.
Just as the light of the Menorah is symbolic for the Jewish people, and serves as a source of connection, so too each one of us has his own light that can serve as a source of help and support for those surrounding him. The task is to write what your strong characteristics are, that provide light that can contribute to the class, those that make you unique. Through a drawing, song or story.
Each student will receive a note with "the light that is within me" written on it.
After each student will express, on the note, his light, we will stick the notes on the base of the big Menorah. In doing so, we will create one Menorah that is made up of all of our unique lights.

Part Five - Summary and Creation: min

Expansion materials:

The Temple Menorah

The seven-branched Menorah is gold and it stood in the Mishkan and later in the Bet Hamikdash/Temple. Every evening, the Kohanim would light and tend to the candles. The Menorah is one of the symbols of the Jewish people and is central to the official symbol of the State of Israel. The form of the Menorah is explicitly described in the Torah. The body of the Menorah consists of a central branch that stands upon a base, with three branches reaching out from either side of the central branch. The Torah describes how the Menorah was decorated with cups, buttons and flowers. The Menorah was made of pure gold and was made from one piece of gold that was sculpted into shape, as opposed to several pieces that were joined together.

In the photo, the Temple Institute lamp, a replica of the Titus Gate.
Photo by: Michal Taylor

The Knesset Menorah

The Knesset Menorah is a five meter high, bronze monument that stands at the edge of the Rose Garden, opposite the Knesset residence. Different people presented the Menorah to the State of Israel, including British parliament members as a tribute to the young state of Israel in 1956. The Menorah was created by Benno Elkan, a British, Jewish artist with German roots, who worked on it for six years. The Menorah portrays approximately thirty formative events, expressions, characters and concepts in the history of the Jewish people, throughout the generations. The Knesset Menorah presents a lesson on the Jewish people, with around 30 embossments showing events, phrases, characters and concepts that Elkan viewed as the most important and meaningful in the history of the Jewish people. Due to the symmetric form of the Menorah – a central branch and three branches on either side – Elkan decided to display the embossments not according to their chronological order, but rather one opposite the other, according to the order of the branches. On the main branch Elkan placed the events, characters and concepts that he viewed as the most important and central in the history of the Jewish people.
The base of the inner pair of branches are covered with a twisted, geometric decoration, the base of the middle branches are decorated with flowers and the symbols of the tribes of Israel, and on the outermost branches is displayed the verse: "Not by might, nor by power, but by My spirit, said the L-rd of hosts" (Zehariah 4:6). These words are taken from the prophecy of Zehariah, in which a gold Menorah and olive branches appear, which served as inspiration for the symbol of the state of Israel. Among the different embossments on the Menorah are: the battle of Refidim, the Tablets of Testimony, the Warsaw Ghetto uprising, Ruth the Moabite, Rachel the matriarch, the Vision of the Dry Bones, and more.

Photo by: Michal Taylor