A Great Miracle Happened There!

Yummy yummy jelly doughnuts!

Lots of Latkes!

Celebrate Chanukah!

Let’s light the Chanukiyah!

Let’s play dreidel!

Learn the Chanukah blessings with Shira.Chanuka Brachot, track 17 from Shira’s Chanukah album.

Click here to listen to the Brachot.

1. Baruch Atah Adonai Eloheinu Melech ha-olamAsher kidshanu b’mitzvotav v’tzivanuL’hadlik ner shel Chanukah.
Blessed are You, God our God, Rule of the universe who makes us holy with the commandment to kindle the lights of Chanukah.

Now light your candles, Left to Right!

2. Baruch Atah Adonai Eloheinu Melech ha-olamShe-asa-nisim lavoteinu bayamim ha-hem bazman hazeh.
Blesed are You, God our God, Rule of the universe who performed miracles in days of old, at this season.

3. (Only sung on the very first night) Baruch Atah Adonai Eloheinu Melech ha-olamShe-hechiyanu v’kiyamanu v’higiyanu lazman hazeh.
Blessed are You, God our God, Rule of the universe for giving us life, sustaining us, and for enabling us to reach this season.

Sing, dance, read and follow the story of Chanukah with the  ShirLaLa Chanukah Comic Book!

Let’s Play Dreidel!

Sivivon sov sov! Sivivon is the Hebrew word for the spinning top that goes “round and round”.Timeto play. Make a circle and find some friends or family, at least 3people for a fun game. Distribute coins, chocolates, or candies evenlyamong the players. My family always played with peanuts. Seven or Eightpieces each should do at the beginning.Each player contributes two coins to the middle of the circle.Spin the dreidel! And here’s what to do with each different letter:Nun – mean you get N-N-N-Nothin! Nothing happens, next player’s turn.Gimmel – means you say G-G-G-Gimmee! You get the whole pot of coins!Hey – means you take H-H-H-Half! Player takes 1/2 of the pot.Shin – Sh-Sh-Sh-Shoooot! Ya gotta put 1 coin back in the pot.Every time there is nothing left in the pot, each player must contribute 2 coins to get the next round started.A little more info on the dreidel..Didyou know that “dreidel” is the Yiddish word for it? And the letters oneach side of the dreidel stand for words in both Yiddish and Hebrew.The Yiddish words help you play the game, the Hebrew words tell thestory.To help understand the game, in Yiddish the letters stand for:

• Nun – “nisht” or nothing
• Gimmel – “gantz” or everything
• Hey – “halb” or half
• Shin – “shtel” or put in

To tell the story, in Hebrew the letters the stand for:Nes Gadol Haya Sham! A great miracle happened there.Listen to ShirLaLa Chanukah and follow along with the original Chanukah Comic to learn the rest of the exciting story.Why do we play dreidel? Some people say that it all started whenthe Jews were under Syrian rule and they weren’t allowed to studyTorah. When they saw the Syrians coming their way, they quickly hidtheir Jewish books and took out their dreidels to trick the soldiersinto thinking they were just playing a game.Good luck and happy spinning!

I was in this place and I did not know it   

In order to get to the High and the Holy of these days, you gotta do some work.  The good news is, it is the most rewarding work. It brings joy, ease, release, renewal, calm, and connection.   

How to go High and Holy?

1. Trust.  Movement, renewal, creation, creativity, these things are the natural way of the Universe. Our aspiration and yearning for change connects us to this Universal flow and as Julia Cameron writes, "As we move toward our dreams, we move toward our divinity."

2.  Listen. Good vibes, bad vibes, all vibes are telling us something. When we get a vibe, asking ourselves "what is that?" will take us directly to our inner voice and listening to the answers will take us to our higher self.  High Holy Day liturgy refers us to this "still small voice – קל דממה דקה" which Elijah hears when he listens to the voice of God. (1 Kings 19:11-12)

3.  Clear.  Not just desktop clutter, but energetic, mental and spiritual clutter.  Tuning in to your higher self requires a clear channel.  It’s a practice, but luckily it’s the most natural practice ever. Your mind and body quiet ever time you take a conscious breath. A few breaths together and imagine what will become clear. As in "God was in this place and I did not know it." (Genesis 28:16) As in: I was in this place and I did not know it.

Whether you embrace or wrestle with the upcoming High Holy Days remember that your job is only to align with your highest self. I promise, your highest self is much, much closer than you think. 

Shana Tovah U’M'tukah,

A SWEET new year to all of you!  May it be a year of compassion, connection, joy and play.

love,

Shira