Enough for eight days

Pitting olives is messy!
Rabbi Chaim Ehrenreich gave children from Beth Am Temple’s and Temple Beth El’s congregational schools a little taste of Maccabee tradition by showing them how to make olive oil the old-fashioned way — in a press.

The roughly 35 third graders pitted the olives, put them in cloth bags and took turns cranking the press to produce oil, if not enough for the eight days of Chanukah, at least enough to get a taste for the task. The program was run by the Jewish Federation Education Center’s educator, Juliet Barr and was open to participating Rockland County synagogues.
Rabbi Chaim Ehrenreich helps a student press the fruit to make oil.

In addition to making olive oil, the students put together chanukiot that looked like scooters and rolled their own beeswax Chanukah candles.

Students decorate their chanukiot.