Crafts

Chanukah always offers great craft possibilities but it only happens once a year! Thankfully, there are Torah portions, including this one, that describe the construction of the ancient Menorah that existed in the Mishkan (Tabernacle) and later in the Mikdash (Temple). The Menorah is an important and beautiful symbol that kids love to create and decorate using various medium. This week’s parsha is called Behaalotcha, which means “when you go up,” referring to Aaron’s “raising the lights” of the Menorah. In Parshat Terumah, the Menorah is described in great detail:

Make a menorah out of pure gold. The menorah shall be formed by hammering it. Its base, stem, and decorative cups, spheres and flowers must be hammered out of a single piece of gold. Six branches shall extend from its sides, three branches on one side of the menorah, and three branches on the other side. There shall be three embossed cups, as well as a sphere and a flower on each and every one of the branches. All six branches extending from the menorah’s stem must be the same in this respect. The shaft of the menorah shall have four embossed cups along with its spheres and flowers. A sphere shall serve as a base for each pair of branches extending from the shaft. This shall be true for all six branches extending from the stem of the menorah. The spheres and branches shall be an integral part of the menorah. They shall all be hammered out of a single piece of pure gold. Make seven lamps on the menorah. Its lamps shall be lit so that they shine primarily toward its center. The menorah’s wick tongs and ash scoops shall also be made out of