These books tell the story of the Maccabees, a small band of Jewish fighters who liberated the Land of Israel from the Syrian Greeks who occupied it. Under the reign of Antiochus IV Epiphanes, the Syrian Greeks sought to impose their Hellenistic culture. By 167 B.C., Antiochus intensified his campaign by defiling the Temple in Jerusalem and banning Jewish practice. The Maccabees — led by the five sons of the priest Mattathias, waged a three-year campaign that culminated in the cleaning and rededication of the Temple. Since they were unable to celebrate the holiday of Sukkot at its proper time in early autumn, the victorious Maccabees decided that Sukkot should be celebrated once they rededicated the Temple, which they did on the 25th of the month of Kislev in the year 164 B.C..
The Dreidel Song
The popular Dreidel Song was written in 1927 by New York composer Samuel Goldfarb during the Tin Pan Alley era. It didn't become popular right away, but in the 1950s, as Jewish culture was becoming more mainstream, it took off. Today, it is a holiday classic—though it has no relationship to actually playing the dreidel game. There are several newer versions of the lyrics and the song has been recorded in many styles, but original lyrics are: I have a little dreidel
I made it out of clay,
And when it’s dry and ready
Oh dreidel, I shall play
Oh, dreidel, dreidel, dreidel
I made you out of clay,
And when you’re dry, and ready
Oh Dreidel we shall play
Oh, dreidel, dreidel, dreidel
I made you out of wood,
And when you are all ready
I’ll play you when I could
Oh, dreidel, dreidel, dreidel
I made you out of glass,
And when you are all ready
I’ll play you on the grass
Oh, dreidel, dreidel, dreidel
I made you out of gold,
And when you are all ready
I’ll play you in the cold
The Origins of the Dreidel
Jewish tradition has it that a game similar to the dreidel was popular during the rule of Antiochus IV, who ruled in present-day Syria during the second century BCE. During this period, Jews were not free to openly practice their religion, so when they gathered to study the Torah, they would bring a top with them. If soldiers appeared, they would quickly hide what they were studying and pretend to be playing a gambling game with the top.
What Is the Dreidel?
The dreidel is a child's toy that is traditionally used at Hanukkah. It is a spinning top that can land on any of its four sides. Each side is imprinted with a Hebrew letter: נ (Nun), ג (Gimmel), ה (Hay), or ש (Shin). The letters stand for the Hebrew phrase "Nes Gadol Haya Sham," meaning "a great miracle happened there."