Tenement Museum

Tonight is the first night of #Hanukkah ! Although it's not typically considered a major religious holiday, the way Yom Kippur, Sukkot, or Passover are, it plays a major role in many Jewish Americans’ exploration and understanding of themselves. Hanukkah as we know it today got its origins in 19th century Cincinnati, Ohio. Two rabbis developed the holiday to reach children with fun activities like candle-lighting, singing songs, teaching skits, and gift giving. What kid could... resist that? Like Christmas, the holiday could become an opportunity for Jewish immigrants to signal success and communicate the story of making it in America. Being able to afford gifts for their children was an effective yardstick to measure that achievement. Hanukkah is an unabashed celebration of Jewish heritage and religious freedom. If you want to dig a little deeper and get a taste of what Sephardic Jewish families prepare for Hanukkah, our blog "Digging up the Roots of Holiday Traditions: Hanukkah" will satiate your curiosity! https://www.tenement.org//digging-up-the-roots-of-holiday/

The Rogarshevsky daughters liked to read romance novels and then discuss them at the garment factory where they worked to pass the time. Their father didn't like his girls reading these kinds of books, but they were able to get away with it because he couldn't read English himself! What did you get away with when you were a kid? Learn more about the Rogarshevsky family today on our virtual tour at 7pm ET. https://www.tenement.org//virtual-tour-rogarshevsky-fami/