In celebration of the Jewish holiday of Chanukah, the Living Legacy program of Milwaukee will host two Chanukah Oil Press Workshops for children of all ages and their families at the Jewish Museum Milwaukee on Wednesday, December 14th from 1:30-2:30pm and Sunday, December 18th from 2:30-3:30pm. The Oil Press employs an impressive array of modern and ancient instruments to recreate the art of hand pressing and refining olive oil, which is of great significance and centrality to the Chanukah festival. Children pit fresh olives and squeeze them in a hand-press; the extract is strained and spun in a centrifuge, separating the pure oil. Participants learn to fashion a wick out of cotton and receive their own flask of freshly-made olive oil.
The Jewish Museum Milwaukee is located at 1360 N. Prospect Avenue in downtown Milwaukee. This event is free for museum members and $5 each for non-members. The entire community is invited to participate in the fun.
Chanukah is a Jewish holiday celebrated for eight days. Chanukah dates back to ancient times when a small group of dedicated Jews, the Maccabees, successfully rebelled against foreign rule. However, the Temple in Jerusalem was defiled in the process and had to be rededicated. When the time came to relight the temple’s Menorah, there was only enough to last for one day. Oil making was a process that took eight days and miraculously, the oil lasted for eight days and nights. Chanukah is celebrated in honor of that miracle as eight candles are lit over the course of eight days. It is customary to give “Chanukah gelt” (money) to children, play dreidel (a top game), and eat fried food (in honor of the oil of the Menorah). This year, Chanukah will begin on December 20th at sundown and conclude on the 28th.
The Jewish Museum Milwaukee is a program of the Milwaukee Jewish Federation. The Museum is dedicated to preserving and presenting the history of the Jewish people in southeastern Wisconsin and celebrating the continuum of Jewish heritage and culture.
The Oil Press workshop is a program of the Living Legacy, a series of hands-on, traveling workshops that teaches Jewish tradition and culture by engaging children in the creation of ritual objects universally used in Jewish practice. To date over 16,000 Wisconsin children have participated in this lively and educational Holiday experience.