Today my students learned about Hanukkah, as the next couple
of weeks of school we are reading about Christmas, Hanukkah, and Kwanza and
using our reading strategies such as compare and contrast to gain deeper
meaning of these holidays and those who celebrate them. One of my students asked if he could share
with the class what he knew about Hanukkah.
He told that class that Muslims celebrate Hanukkah. My MT and I quickly corrected the student’s
misconception and explained to the class that Hanukkah is celebrate by Jewish,
not Muslim, individuals. I was shocked that one of my student’s was so
misinformed. I believe that this
misconception is an unfortunate result of some of my student’s upbringing.
The majority of my students live very close to my school,
which is located in a predominately African American community. This is not to suggest that there are not
African Americans who practice Judaism, however, there is a much stronger
Christian population in my school. Many
of my students have likely had minimal opportunities to experience cultures and
religions other than their own in an authentic or significant manner. I am excited that we will be studying three
unique holidays, as it will provide insight (even if it is minimal) to other
cultures.
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