Do you believe in magic? Well, in the world of Judaism, there is an object that is believed to possess magical powers - the dteidel. The dteidel, also known as a spinning top, is traditionally associated with the Jewish holiday of Hanukkah. Hanukkah is an eight-day celebration that commemorates the miracle of the oil in the Jewish temple in Jerusalem. According to the story, there was only enough oil to keep the temple's menorah, a seven-branch candelabrum, lit for one day. However, miraculously, the oil lasted for eight days, which was enough time for more oil to be prepared. During Hanukkah, it is customary for children to play the game of dteidel.
Keywords: Hanukkah, Hanukkah story, dreidels, magic, magical creatures, Jewish fiction, 4 year old, 5 year old, 6 year old, 7 year old, 8 year old, diversity, diverse books, holidays
May this Hanuka usher in an age when all people are free, their path to equality lit by the torch of freedom, a miracle, as the prayer says, performed in those days, but possible here and in our own time. A friendly goblin who lives in the well gives him a dreidel to replace the one he lost, but this one is magic and creates latkes potato pancakes with sour cream and applesauce.
During Hanukkah, it is customary for children to play the game of dteidel. The dteidel is a four-sided spinning top with a Hebrew letter on each side - נ (Nun), ג (Gimmel), ה (Hey), and ש (Shin). These letters represent the phrase "Nes Gadol Haya Sham," which translates to "A great miracle happened there.
Texas Jewish Post (Fort Worth, Tex.), Vol. 41, No. 50, Ed. 1 Thursday, December 17, 1987 Page: 17 of 28
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RABBI AT RANDOM
DALLAS THURSDAY, DECEMBER 17, 1987 TEXAS )EWISH POST 17
Rabbi Stewart Weiss
This Shabbat is Shabbat Hanuka, the
coming together of the Festival of Lights
and Judaism's most sacred holiday, the
Shabbat. The lighting of our Hanuka can-
dles followed by the Shabbat candles truly
gives a special glow to our homes on this
joyous day, as we celebrate a holiday so
beloved by our young people and so
universally noted by all Jews.
The Talmud asks, simply: "What is
Hanuka all about?" That is, does Hanuka
commemorate the victory of the Mac-
cabee-led Jews over the Syrian-Greeks, or
are we mainly concerned with the miracle
of the oil, that little jar of pure fuel which
kept the Menorah burning for eight days?
The answer, essentially, is that both
definitions of Hanuka, military and
spiritual, have the same underlying lesson.
Both define an ongoing miracle in our
collective lives, namely, the deliverance of
the many into the hands of the few, and the
triumph of the pure devotees over their
numerically larger adversaries.
The Maccabees, like the jar of oil, were
given no chance of success by the doubting
majority. Outnumbered, ill-armed, their
greatest weapon was their belief that what
they were doing, maintaining the sanctity
and authenticity of their faith, was the only
choice for the righteous Jew. Their fear of
the enemy was small compared with their
determination that Judaism could not be
diluted, subverted and ultimately polluted
by a Greek philosophy which made the
body supreme and the soul meaningless.
And so they fought, this brave little
band. Not only against the Syrians, but
even against their fellow Jews who were
reluctant at first to "get involved" and
buck the odds. F.ventually, however, the
purity of their cause brought them popular
support and miraculous intervention, and
the recapture of the Temple was somehow
accomplished. Like the small cruse of oil,
tiny but pure, the Maccabees showed the
light to the rest of the world, proving that
miracles can indeed occur for the worthy,
that a pure few can guide the many, if only
their cause is just and right.
And so it has remained with us, this
Hanuka blessing. We are few in number,
we Jews, only a scant percentage of the
American population or the Middle Fast
people. And yet, because of our fierce
adherence to a just cause, we have burned
brightly in miraculous proportion to our
size. Be it in Nobel Prize winners, or the
shaping of democracy, we have confoun-
ded the experts who said we could not sur-
vive. Not only have we survived, but we
have excelled, with Maccabee-like courage
and zeal in every generation. No goal has
been too hopeless, no accomplishment too
impossible. We lit our candles with faith,
and somehow G-D kept them aglow.
May this Hanuka usher in an age when
all people are free," their path to equality
lit by the torch of freedom, a miracle, as
the prayer says, "performed in those days,"
but possible "here and in our own time."
VYNAOOOUI SERVICES’
ANSHAI EMET (Conservative)
At Dallas North Unitarian Church
2525 Custer Rd., Plano
Rabbi Sholom Groesberg
FRIDAY —Sabbath Services; Warren Kuhin on
"The Role ot American Jewry in the Civil
War". t$:45. p-.m
SATURDAY — Sabbath Services; I oral) Discussion:
When Parents Name I heir Sons on I rev
Shabbat, Why Are M'nashes and I Iraim
Models'. 9; it) a m
BETH EMUNAH (Conservative)
3401 Conflans Rd. Irving
Mark Kirscliner Gabbai
FRIDAY — Services; Oney Shabbat. 8:00 p.m
CONGREGATION BETH TORAH
(Conservative)
720 Lookout Drive
Rabbi Neil Sandler
FRIDAY — Farly Shabbat Prayer. . .. 7:1Sp.ni.
FRIDAY —late Sabbalh Services; Oney 8:15 p m
SA TURDAY — Sabbath Services; Kiddush. 9: 10 a.in.
SUNDAY — Minyan. 9:00 a.m.
MONDAY — Minyan. b:45 a.m.
TEMPLE EMANU-EL (Reform)
8500 Hillcresl
Rabbi Sheldon Zimmerman
Rabbi Gerald Klein Rabbi Elisabeth Stern
FRIDAY —Early Services; Stern Sermon. b:l)0 p.m.
FRIDAY — Flanuka Family Service; Zimmerman
Sermon. . 7:30 p in.
SATURDAY— bat MiUvah of Elizabeth Halley
Cinsbery (dnuyhter of Mr. and Mrs. Unman
Cinsbery); Zimmerman Sermon. I l:t)t) a in
SAI UKDAY — Itnai Mit/vah ol Jeremy Shawn Kossel,
bradley Rene Rossel, and liana Sue Kossel (sons
and dauyhter of Mr. and Mrs. Cary Kossel),
Zimmerman Sermon. 5:00 pan.
SUNDAY-THURSDAY-Minyan. K:lr.,i.ni
GOLDEN ACRES
Dallas Home For The Jewish Aged
2525 Centerville
FRIDAY — Services sponsored by Shearith
Israel Brotherhood; Weinstein UUYO Oney 7:00 pan.
SA 1 UKDAY —Conservative Services led tty
Nathan Kaplan. fh.JUa.m.
SATURDAY — Reform Services led by Nathan
Kaplan. KIMS a.m
OHEV SHALOM
6959 Arapaho #575
Rabbi Aryeh Rodin
FRIDAY —Services. 70 minutes before Sunset
SA I URDAY — Morniny Services. . . 9:00 a m.
SA I UKDAY — Minha/Maariv.. . 20 minutes before Sunset
SUNDAY — Minyan. 8:45 a.m.
CONGREGATION SHAARE-TEFILLA
(Orthodox)
6131 Churchill Way Off Preston Rd.
Rabbi Howard Wolk
I l< I DAY —Services. 1tt minutes before Sunset
SA I UKDAY - ServK vs. !h>hysiltm« 9:00 «i.m.
SA I UKDAY - Mint li.i/M«i«iriv Itt minutes before Sunset
□AII.Y. 0:45 a.m. and 7:00 p.m.
TEMPLE SHALOM (Reform)
6930 Alpha Road
Rabbi Kenneth D. Rosemann
Rabbi Jordan M. Parr
FRIDAY — Hanuka Family Niyht; Oney. 8:15 p.m.
SA I UKDAY — bar Mitzvah of Alex Wettreich
(son of Mr. and Mrs. Daniel Wettreich). 4:30 p.m.
SHEARITH ISRAEL (Conservative)
9401 Douglas
Rabbi Jordan Ofseyer
Rabbi Edward Feinstein Rabbi Stefan Weinberg
Cantor Bernard Lowe
FRIDAY —Chapel. 6:00 p.m.
FRIDAY —Shabbat Service and Dinner. 6:15 p.m.
FRIDAY — Late Sabbath Services; Oney sponsored
by Alpha Omeya Dental Fraternity. 8:15 p.m.
SA I URDAY — bar Milzvaft of Richard Ranen
(son of Howard and Gayle Ranen); Kiddush. . 9:15 a.m.
SA I URDAY — Minolta and Maariv. 4:45 p.m.
TIFERET ISRAEL (Traditional)
10909 Hillcrest
Rabbi Stewart Weiss Cantor Yitzhak Cohen
I KIDAY —Mincha/Maariv. 5:05 p.m.
FRIDAY — Story Shabbat: " rhe Magic DTeidel;
Oney. 7:00 p.m.
SATURDAY —Shabbat Services. Kiddush 9:00 a.m.
SA I URDAY-Mincha/Maariv. 5:05 p.m.
YOUNG ISRAEL (Orthodox)
11808 Jamestown
All Serve es Conducted by Congregation Members
NER TAMID (Reform)
At The First Christian Church
1836 Walnut, Carrollton
FRIDAY — Shabbat Services; Om*u .
FKIDAY —Kabbiillat Services. 5:02 p.m
SA I UKDAY - Services. 9:00 a.m.
SA I UKDAY — Mincha/Maariv 18 minutes before Sunset
I IC.HTCANDI FS SUNDAY —Minyan 8:00a.m.
,«:(X)p.nH SUNDAY-Mincha/Maariv. . .
5:04
FRIDAY, DFCFMBFR 18
agEBHE 27 KISLFV 5748
18 minutes before Sunset
ENGAGEMENT
Deborah Swartz and Jeffrey Weinstein
Susan and Clark Swartz of Dallas announce
the engagement of their daughter, Deborah Jill,
to Jeffrey Scott Weinstein, son of Andrea and
Loren Weinstein of Dallas. The future bride is
the granddaughter of Beverly Swartz and the
late Robert Swartz and Rose and Arnold Hof-
fman of Palm Spring, California and Oscar
Levinson of Chicago, Illinois. The future groom
is the grandson of Sadie and Bill Waldman of
Dallas and Rowena and Sam Weinstein of Den-
ver, Colorado.
A March 26 wedding is planned at Congre-
gation Shearith Israel.
ENGAGEMENT
*
v V, .; •'
■V ■ .
*** *
aii
Josie Fskenazi and Stephen Bergenholtz
Mr. and Mrs. Moses F.skenazi announce the
engagement and forthcoming marriage of their
daughter, Josie Donna of Dallas to Stephen Aaron
Bergenholtz, son of Mr. and Mrs. Ivan Bergenholtz
of Marlboro, N.J.
The future bride attended Richland College and
is now a Travel Consultant and partner in a North
Dallas agency. The groom-to-be attended Adelphi
University in New York where he studied business
management and was a member of Pi-Lamda-Phi
fraternity. He is a principal with Mid-Texas Finan-
cial Concepts in Dallas where he specializes in em-
ployee benefit programs and does business con-
sulting. Both the bride-to-be and the groom-to-be
are partners in Video F.xpress Productions and
Lifetyme Portraits & Video.
The couple will be married on February 20, 1988,
at The Westin Hotel in Dallas.
" To play the game, each player starts with a pile of tokens, usually chocolate coins or candy, and takes turns spinning the dteidel. Depending on which letter the dteidel lands on, the player either takes tokens from the pot, adds tokens to the pot, or does nothing. The goal is to accumulate as many tokens as possible. While the game of dteidel is fun and entertaining, it also holds deeper symbolism. The dteidel represents the miracle of Hanukkah and serves as a reminder of the importance of faith and perseverance in the face of adversity. It is a way for children to connect with their Jewish heritage and learn about their history and traditions. The magic of the dteidel lies not in its physical properties but in the stories and values it represents. It serves as a tangible object that brings families together, encourages friendly competition, and creates lasting memories. So, even if you don't believe in magic, you can still appreciate the magic of the dteidel and all it embodies..
Reviews for "The Magic Dteidels in Jewish Tradition: Celebrating Hanukkah with Mystery and Wonder"
1. Jonathan - 2 stars - I was really disappointed with "The Magic Dteidels". The plot was unoriginal and predictable, and the characters were one-dimensional. I couldn't connect with any of them and found myself getting bored halfway through the book. The writing style was also lackluster and didn't evoke any emotions or engagement. Overall, it just didn't live up to the hype for me.
2. Emily - 1 star - "The Magic Dteidels" was a complete waste of my time. The storyline was confusing and poorly executed. I couldn't follow the jumps between different time periods and locations, and it felt like the author didn't spend enough time developing the plot or the characters. The dialogue was stilted and unrealistic, making it difficult to engage with the story. I regret picking up this book and would not recommend it to anyone.
3. David - 2 stars - I had high hopes for "The Magic Dteidels", but unfortunately, it fell short. The pacing was off, with slow moments dragging on and important scenes rushed through. The romance element felt forced and lacked chemistry, making it hard to root for the main characters. Additionally, the magical elements were underdeveloped and didn't add much to the overall story. Overall, it was a forgettable read that failed to captivate me.
4. Sarah - 1 star - What a disappointment! "The Magic Dteidels" had an interesting premise, but the execution was poor. The writing was clunky and filled with cliches, making it difficult to immerse myself in the story. The characters lacked depth and their actions felt unrealistic. The ending was rushed and left many loose ends, leaving me feeling unsatisfied. I wouldn't recommend wasting your time on this book.