Hanukkah Speakers’ Bureau, Hillel's holiday outreach program

November 2004

 The Hanukkah Speakers’ Bureau is a long-standing tradition at the Hillel School of Tampa.  “It started long before I arrived at Hillel,” says Mrs. Ilana Ladetzky, a Middle School Hebrew teacher, “but it has evolved since I first became involved in the program.”

The Hanukkah Speakers’ Bureau was first intended as an outreach program for the community at large, to educate groups about the holiday of Hanukkah, its meaning and background.  As time went on it also became a mitzvah project to entertain Jewish groups, especially the elderly and the sick.  “Every year we visit a number of assisted living facilities, such as Weinberg Village, Mary Walker, Jewish Towers, and Myrtle Oaks,” continues Mrs. Ladetzky, “we also visit the VA and Shriners hospitals.”  In addition, the Speakers’ Bureau visits preschools and public schools at the request of those schools, traveling as far as Lakeland to perform.

“Every Middle School student participates in the Bureau,” says Mrs. Ladetzky, “we want to make sure each student gets an opportunity to be a part of this, so we have five different teams of speakers.”  The students educate the listeners about Hanukkah through stories, songs, and the use of props such as various styles of menorahs, dreidels, gift boxes, and gelt.

The program typically lasts twenty to thirty minutes, and at the conclusion of the program the students take questions from the audience. 

“We heard many different questions.  The young children always wonder about the kippot the boys are wearing,” says Mrs. Ladetzky with a smile. 

“The eighth grade students go to the Joshua House every year,” said Mrs. Ladetzky, “the students’ parents bring latkes and doughnuts and the kids enjoy a dreidel game after the show.  It is a tradition that both our students and the children at the Joshua House look forward to every year.”  

In addition to providing a community service, the Hanukkah Speakers’ Bureau is an opportunity for the students to develop leadership skills and reinforce their strong sense of Jewish Identity.

The Hanukkah Speakers’ Bureau accepts requests for the upcoming holiday season.  Please contact the Hillel School of Tampa for further information.

 
Hillel School of Tampa 2020 West Fletcher Ave.Tampa, Florida    33612       83.963.2242    Fax 813.264.0544

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