“Through the Classroom Window” is an opportunity for teachers to share the inspiring learning that takes place in their classrooms, giving others a glimpse into the heartbeat of the school. Today, we hear from JK teacher Rena Cohen about how JK students made olive oil for Chanukkah, learning that when God and people work together, miracles are born!


During Chanukkah, JK students participated in the miraculous oil-making process.

To guide us in this process, Rabbi Yonah paid our classroom a special visit, bringing us raw olives to transform. Together, we followed the step-by-step process of making pure olive oil, which we then used to light the chanukkiah.

While crafting the oil, students were encouraged to think about God’s role in the miracle:

God created the ground, water, and sun so that olive trees can grow.”

Then, students thought about the role of different people in producing oil:

The farmer picked the olives, then factory workers used machines to squish the olives, and the super-fast mixer mixed olive juice into oil.”

Finally, JK students considered their own role in the process:

We were helpers, we put olives in bags and in the oil-making machine. We also used our strong muscles to pull the machine’s handles, squeezing hard to make the juice flow.”

Together, we created a miracle!

Wishing you the ability to see miracles all around you. Chanukkah Sameach!

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“Through the Classroom Window” is an opportunity for teachers to share the inspiring learning that takes place in their classrooms, giving others a glimpse into the heartbeat of the school.

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