Goal: The Chanichim will learn about 2 people: Eli Cohen the Isreali spy and Shimshon. They will understand why we can call them heroes.They will understand what it means physical  Gvurah. Introduction: Throughout Jewish History there are many examples of heroes who were examples of physical gevurah.  We are going to focus on a couple of individuals.

Physical Gevura

Goal: The Chanichim will learn about 2 people: Eli Cohen the Isreali spy and Shimshon. They will understand why we can call them heroes.They will understand what it means physical  Gvurah. Introduction: Throughout Jewish History there are many examples of heroes who were examples of physical gevurah.  We are going to focus on a couple of individuals.

Eli Cohen:

Israel has used spies to gain important advantages in many wars. One spy was Eli Cohen, “Our Man in Damascus”. Eli Cohen posed as an Arab in Syria, and there he became friends with important government officials.  He convinced his “friends” to hide their bunkers in the Golan Heights with Eucalyptus trees.  The Syrians were using these bunkers to shoot down on the Kibbutzim and villages in the Galil.  Because of the Eucalyptus trees, the Israeli army knew where the bunkers were, and bombed them, saving many Israeli lives.  (Eli Cohen was eventually caught and was killed by the Syrians.)

Suggestions:

-Tell the Chanichim that they are being trained/tested as spies for the Mossad(The Israeli secret service)

-Sneak through the building (“hiding” from the“enemy”) and play each game in a different secret location

Spy Game #1:   (Do you notice small details?)

1)      Get your Chanichim to sit in a circle

2)      Choose one of your Chanichim to be the “spy” and they should leave the room until they are called back in by the madrich/a

3)      While the chanich/a is out of the room change few things in the circle, such as 2 chanichim/ot changing shoes or switching places

4)      The chanich/a should then be called back in and told to find out what is different about the circle and with the chanichim/ot in the circle

5)      This should be done until every chanich/a has had a chance to be the “spy”

Spy Game #2:  (Can you crack the code?)

1)      One chanich/a leaves the room

2)      The rest of the group is split into two and each half is given half a phrase (. “Bnei” “Akiva”)

3)      When the chanicha/a re-enters the room, the two groups have to yell out their messages at the same time

4)      The chanich/a must guess the message.Other words they need to gusse:Moshe Rabenu, Chanukha’s candle.

Questions:

      *How do you think Eli felt when he flew to Syraua?

      *Do you think he saw himself as a hero?

      *How do you think Eli felt to be always in danger?

 *Do you think he had  a last request?

Shimshon Hagibor:

Another hero showing physical gevurah was Shimshon the shofet.  Not only was he amazingly strong, killing 1000 Plishtim with the jawbone of a donkey and pulling down a building with his bare hands, but he was also great at riddles.  This is the riddle he asked his in-laws (if they got it within 7 days, he would give them 30 sheets and 30 outfits.  If they didn’t, they had to give him 30 sheets and 30 outfits):

“From the eater came food, from the strong came sweetness”. (Shoftim 14/14)

What was he talking about?  Shimshon had killed a lion when he went to see his wife for the first time.  When he went back for the wedding, he saw that there was a beehive inside the dead lion. (The in-laws couldn’t guess it, so they got Shimshon’s wife to tell them the answer.  Shimshon got mad and killed 30 Plishtim and gave their clothing to his in laws).

Here are a few picture riddles.  If they are too hard for your Chanichim, try Laffy-Taffy type riddles,like:

What kind of room has no windows or doors? (a mushroom)

Answers to riddles:

1. What did the dog say to the little child pulling his tail?

??? That’s the end of me.

2. What happens to the duck who flies upside down?

??? He quacks up.

3. What horse never goes out in the day time?

??? A night mare.

4. Where do animals go when they lose their tails?

??? To a retail store.

5. Why don't pigs drive cars?

??? They would become road hogs.

6. What is the smartest kind of bee?

??? A spelling bee.

7. What is a mosquito's favorite sport?

??? Skin diving.

8. How do you fix a broken gorilla?

??? With a monkey wrench.

9. What is the best year for a kangaroo?

??? Leap year.

10. Why did the police arrest the bird?

??? Because he was a robin.

11. Who designed Noah's ark?

??? An Ark-kitek

12. Why was the pig thrown out of the football game?

??? For playing dirty.

13. What kind of food does a race horse eat?

??? Fast food.

14. What is a snake's favorite ice cream?

??? Hiss-tachio

Summary: we learnt about 2 heroes that did great things that because of them they will forever be remembered.In the story of Chanukah the Makabbim were the heroes.         They won in the war against the Greek and made the Mikdash a holly place again.