The Festival of Lights, also known as Hanukkah or Chanukah, is coming up at the beginning of December. This Jewish festival commemorates the rededication of the Second Temple in Jerusalem.
Full disclosure: my family is not Jewish. However, as a Christian family, we are very conscious of our faith's roots in Judaism, and we enjoy learning more about the traditions in other religions. So when I had the opportunity to sample a Chanukah House Kit from Manischewitz, I gladly took the opportunity to do so. The kit building was fun, and it gave us an opportunity to talk about Hanukkah and what it means, as well as the customs around the holiday.
The kit is very easy to use. I did like that it came with a tray to make assembly much easier - the tray formed a base for the other pieces. We actually skipped the step that suggested putting frosting on the base and our house stood up just fine. The only downside is that it is a plastic tray - not really any way around it, but as a family we are paying attention to our plastic footprint a little more.
That being said, the kit was easy to use. We didn't use all of the types of sprinkles that were included, but there was a nice variety - colored sugar, traditional sprinkles, and larger round sprinkles. The cookies were a hard sugar cookie, and my girls really enjoyed decorating the house. They liked the taste of the sugar cookie better than traditional gingerbread too.
For Jewish families, there's a bonus - a reminder about the chance to sign up kids (up to age twelve) to receive books from PJ Library, an organization dedicated to providing Jewish families with kid-friendly literature that supports Jewish values.
As just one example of the age-appropriate children's books which PJ Library will deliver this fall, Eric Kimmel's classic Hershel and the Hanukkah Goblins is on the list for November 2020. PJ Library is also updating their popular "Hanukkah Hub" and plans to publish new episodes of the award-winning PJ Library podcast, Have I Got a Story for You! I had a chance to see a copy of that book as well, and it was a cute story about hope and ingenuity in the face of challenge.A free program of the Harold Grinspoon Foundation, PJ Library sends engaging storybooks that provide fun and easy ways for families to connect with Jewish life. PJ Library's high-quality books have become everyday favorites of kids from birth through age 12, whether the stories serve as first introductions to Jewish values and culture or inspire families to create new Jewish traditions at home. To find out more, visit pjlibrary.org.
About Manischewitz
The Manischewitz Company has been making traditional Jewish foods since Rabbi Dov Behr Manischewitz first opened a small matzo bakery in Cincinnati, OH in the late 1800s. For more than 130 years, the company's goal has been to provide quality kosher products that bring families together and celebrate the traditions of Jewish heritage. Today, Manischewitz sells hundreds of delicious products to communities across the globe. We continue to provide foods made from simple ingredients that help create family memories in the kitchen. Today, Manischewitz is part of the Kayco family of brands, offering one of the largest assortments of kosher foods and beverages. For more information, visit https://manischewitz.com/.
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