FOR ME
What if you had to hide your Jewishness? In Jerusalem under Greek rule, King Antiochus outlawed Judaism. Today, show your Jewish pride! Wear an Israel-themed T shirt, a Jewish star or hamsa necklace, a kippah, or a hat/button/sticker with Hebrew writing.

FOR OTHERS
Bring some Hanukkah spirit and Jewish pride to the elderly or others who may need help celebrating. Visit a nursing home to sing Hanukkah songs, play dreidel, and share gelt or sufganiyot. Bring a hanukkiyah and help them light candles if you're visiting during candle lighting time. Hang decorations so they can celebrate all week long!

FOR ME
The Maccabees worked together to fight for the rights of Jews, with Judah leading them all to an amazing victory. Show your family's strengths with pictures. First, print and cut out one of the stencils. Trace the shape onto a piece of heavy paper and cut it out. Then, glue photographs of your family members all over the frame. Attach a ribbon to the back and display it with pride.

FOR OTHERS
Connect with Israeli soldiers who often have to celebrate Hanukkah away from their families. Let them know you are thinking of them and fill them in on your own celebration. Tell them how much you appreciate them carrying on the Maccabee spirit to defend and support Israel. Find more details online.

FOR ME
The Maccabees had to make the Temple (with its golden, wooden, and fabric decorations) into a Jewish space again. You can show that your home or bedroom is a Jewish space. Hang a special handmade mezuzah on your doorpost. Use the printable instructions to decorate a small rectangular jewelry box with glitter, paint, ornaments, buttons, or other decorations. Follow the instructions to finish and hang your mezuzah

FOR OTHERS
Organizing your room doesn't compare to the work the Maccabees had to do to clean the Temple in Jerusalem. Spend some time looking at all the stuff you've got. Collect things (clothes, toys, books, games, etc.) that you've outgrown. Ask your friends to do the same. Bring the things to a charity drop-off site, or a local shelter or school where they can be used again. (Make sure to get a parent's permission first.)

FOR ME
Today, candles – and electricity – provide a glowing light, but in Temple days, only pure oil was used to light the 7-branched menorah If the light went out, there would be no Temple celebrations. Listen to "Light One Candle" on the jPod and think about what the chorus "Don't Let the Light Go Out" means. Write that line on a piece of paper and draw a picture of what that line means to you.

FOR OTHERS
The Maccabees needed oil for the Temple menorah They didn't know that oil is one of the most important ingredients in most cake mixes. It helps the ingredients stick together, adds moisture, and improves taste! Use a mix to bake a cake and share with others. You might use it to surprise your sports team, top off a Hanukkah party, or celebrate your class' accomplishments. You'll need a bowl, spoon, cake mix, eggs, water, cake pan, oven, and – oil!

FOR ME
What is the miracle of Hanukkah? Is it that the oil lasted 8 days? Is it that the Maccabees were victorious over King Antiochus's army? Is it both? Either way, the dreidel reminds us of a miracle. Its letters stand for Nes Gadol Haya Sham (A Great Miracle Happened There). Play a game or two of dreidel. All you need is a driedel, some chips, such as candy or pennies, and the instructions.

FOR OTHERS
While most of the focus is on kids during Hanukkah, parents and teachers also like to take part in the fun. Fill a plastic dreidel or cloth dreidel-shaped pouch with candy or other sweets for a parent or teacher. The most popular Hanukkah treat is gelt, which symbolizes the money that was used in pretend gambling games that the Jews played hoping Antiochus wouldn't think they were practicing their religion.

FOR ME
Can you tell the difference between scenes in Jerusalem, Israel and the United States? Test you instincts online with the game, Poh (Here) or Sham (There). In Israel, the letters on the dreidel stand for the sentence Nes Gadol Haya Poh (A Great Miracle happened here.)

FOR OTHERS
Send Hanukkah e-cards to your friends and family wishing them a happy Hanukkah Select a card, and write your message. Then, use the mizrach instructions to create your own mizrach! A mizrach (which means "east") is a sign that is hung on the eastern wall of a room to show the direction of Jerusalem.

FOR ME
Keep the glow of Hanukkah shining even in the dark. Using glow-in-the-dark markers or paints on dark paper, draw pictures that will make you smile when you see them at night with the lights off. Two suggestions of drawings are Hanukkah candles and shiny Maccabee shields.

FOR OTHERS
The Maccabees were lucky to find a small clay container of oil and they guarded it carefully. Share with others how they can save our precious resources. Make fliers and posters, and send emails and postcards with suggestions like: turn off lights and unplug appliances you are not using; reuse bags; recycle when possible; take shorter showers.

FOR ME
Each player gets 8 cards. The other cards go in a pile face down. Turn the top card over and put it next to the pile. The first player has to cover that card with one of the same suit or same number. If not, he/she has to take one from the pile. Take turns. Eights are wild, so the player decides the suit. To win, get rid of all your cards!

FOR OTHERS
Bring 8 items of non-perishable food to a local food pantry. To make your contribution even more amazing, ask your friends to bring their own cans and boxes of food to add to your collection. If you are going to a Hanukkah celebration, suggest that the guests contribute their own non-perishables, and you can offer to bring all the donations to the food pantry.