Hanukkah Stories

Many great children’s books are written for Hanukkah. A nice tradition for families is to read one such Hanukkah book each of the eight nights of Hanukkah. Not everyone has the finances or the budget this year to purchase eight Hanukkah books, so below are some video recordings of Hanukkah stories that you can share with your children during Hanukkah. This list is not complete in any way, but it will get you started. (All of the books, except for “The Story of Hanukkah” by Jeremy Frank (#1 on the list) are available for purchase at Amazon.)

1. “The Story of Hanukkah” (Speakaboos): The miracles of Hanukkah come alive as the Maccabees celebrate the eight nights of Hanukkah.

2. “Hanukkah in Alaska” is a story about a little girl in Alaska where it is only light for 5 hours a day.

3. “Clifford Celebrates Hanukkah”: The big red dog and his friends celebrate their first Hanukkah.

4. “Hanukkah Bear”: A hungry, adorable bear is awoken from hibernation by the smell of Bubba Brayna’s latkes cooking in the village.

5. The Night Before Hanukkah: Each night, when the family gathers together to light the candles, they share family stories, eat latkes and play games.

6. Biscuit’s Hanukkah: Biscuit, a dog, makes a beautiful menorah.

7. “Happy Hanukkah Curious George”: On the eighth night of Hanukkah Curious George gather together to celebrate the holiday.

This article was written by MJTI Academic Dean Rabbi Dr. Vered Hillel. For more by Rabbi Hillel, read her articles about Hanukkah in Israel, whether an old dog can really learn new tricks, or her series on inspiring Jewish women.

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