Festivals | Chanukah
The Struggle of the Maacabees against the Greeks
Simulation Game for Chanukah
Aims:
Present and review the situation in Eretz Israel in the period of the
Maccabees, with special emphasis on the confrontation between Hellenism
and Judaism, and on the war of the many against the few.
Analyse the problem of assimilation and its implications in the contemporary
Jewish context.
Age: Combination of young people (11-15) and older
participants (16 - 18)
No. of participants: about 40
Time: Full day (including evening).
Preparation:
- The place: an open space or a large hall
- Materials: for drawing, graphics, building and assembly, flags
- Flour and plastic bags
- Instruction sheets for each group
- Loud speakers and microphones (for the "radio station")
- Slides and maps of Jerusalem; projector
- Instruction sheets
Procedure:
DIVISION INTO GROUPS
Divide the participants into several groups (and sub-groups). Distribute
instruction sheets to each group and explain their role in the game.
The group members hold a discussion in order to get into role. For
this, the younger group (11-15) will be assisted by an older participant,
who will guide the discussion, decision making and any group activity.
The groups:
- Greeks (sub-group: Syrian soldiers)
- Jewish farmers and artisans.
- Priests
- Rich Jews
- The Maccabees
- Radio station staff
Basic positions of each group:
| Greeks: |
| You want to impose a Greek culture and way of life throughout
the East (Eretz Israel is an integral part of Syria). Your aspiration
is to achieve political and spiritual unification of all the peoples
under your rule, so that they accept your central rule, thus increasing
your power. You do not understand why the Jews are the only people
in all the East who for the most part refuse to accept the Greek
way of life. |
| Jewish Farmers and Artisans: |
| Most of you are Hasidim who reject Greek culture (and some
of you will become extreme opponents later). However, there are
those among you who are not adverse to a process of Hellenisation.
You constitute the potential target for attempts at persuasion
from both sides (Greeks and Hellenists versus the Maccabees and
some of the priesthood). |
| Priests: |
| Most of you are moderate Hasidim. Your aim is to preserve the
integrity and the purity of the Temple, the mitzvot and the Jewish
way of life. Some of you, particularly the rich priests, have
Hellenistic tendencies. You do not want to quarrel with the authorities,
but would like to be allowed to continue to live as in the past.
|
| Rich Jews: |
| Some of you are moderate Hellenists (who wish to gradually
blur the difference between the Jewish people and other peoples).
You pay taxes to the Greek Empire and imitate the Greek way of
life (sports, wealth, ostentation). A few of you advocate rapid
and extreme Hellenization: idolatrous sacrifices, eating pork.
You despise Judaism, the Jewish religion and way of life. |
| Maccabees: |
| You define yourselves as guardians of the faith of Israel.
You realize that you must actively combat the Greeks (particularly
after the cruel edicts and provocations of Antiochus Epiphanes,
whose real goal is the eradication of Judaism). Your object is
to strengthen the people in their faith and in the Jewish way
of life and to halt the growth of Helleniza- tion, even if you
have to employ force. |
What each group now has to do:
Each group studies its role, planning its activity in accordance with
the positions presented on the instruction sheet which it has received,
and with the activity proposed below.
BUILDING JERUSALEM
Each group builds part of the city according to its role. To help them,
first project slides showing remains of the city and archeological finds
from the Second Temple period. Show a map of Jerusalem in this period
alongside a map of contemporary Jerusalem.
| The Greeks: |
| Build an army camp (with the help of the older participants).
The youngsters decorate this with pictures, photographs, and
Greek sculptures they have made, which stress physical strength
and beauty.
|
| Jewish farmers and artisans: |
| The youngsters draw (olive trees for instance), plant, and
prepare plots of land, etc. They also build and draw Menorot,
jugs and other items related to the Temple. The older participants
help to build a tower, several tents and a fence symbolizing the
walls (for instance by drawing on bristol paper with felt tip
pens).
|
| Priests [and artisans]: |
| Together with the artisans, the Priests build and draw the
Temple, as well as items directly connected with the Temple.
|
| The rich Jews: |
| Build models of splendid buildings, a mosaic, jewels.
|
| The Maccabees: |
| Make weapons (spears, shields, swords, bows and arrows), coins
(for instance from plaster). Prepare hiding places and equipment
for life in caves. |
INTER-GROUP ACTIVITY
During the building of the city, each group is told to act out its
views:
The Greeks, together with the rich Hellenists, must try to persuade
all the Jews of the advantages of Hellenisation. They should mingle
with the farmers and the artisans, and try to convince them.
The Syrian soldiers: Their role is also to keep order among the people.
The Priests: Some should begin to support the Greeks and introduce
pagan elements into Temple worship, while others should try to prevent
them from doing so, by a campaign of persuasion.
The Maccabees (together with the non-Hellenized priests) try to persuade
the Jews not to give up their Judaism, so that they will not be engulfed
by the nations.
The Radio Station broadcasts news of the period, appropriate music
and advertisements corresponding to each of the groups (you can go round
the groups offering your services).
THE OPPRESSION AND THE REVOLT
At this stage, the following announcement is broadcast over the radio:
"By decree of His Excellency, King Antiochus:
* It is forbidden to keep Jewish commandments: the Sabbath, circumcision,
etc.
* Jews must participate in ceremonial sacrifices to the Greek gods.
* Jews must eat pork."
This is followed by Acts of Provocation: The soldiers take idols into
the Temple.
All of the above leads to the beginning of the revolt of the Maccabees:
The groups prepare manifestos or posters to express their opinions
(another option is a national assembly in which a representative of
each group expresses its opinion).
The Maccabees plan the revolt against the Greeks, who plan the oppression.
The other groups (the ordinary people, the rich, the priests) adopt
positions relating to both sides: (support of the Maccabees or the Greeks,
hiding, proposing a compromise position**). Explain
the task and give help as required.
NOTE: If there is no consensus within the group, its members may adopt
different positions.
The Maccabees have to try to persuade all the people to participate
in the war. They do so in secret, without the knowledge of the Greeks
and the Syrian soldiers.
THE WAR
Procedure: The Maccabees must remove the Greek flag
from the Temple (surrounded by Syrian soldiers) and replace it by the
Israeli flag in order to win.
Weapons for the Greeks and Syrians: plastic bags filled with flour.
If a bag of flour bursts over one of the Maccabees, he or she is out
of the game.
** The artisans, farmers and rich Jews are divided
equally between the two camps according to the positions which they
adopted in Stage 4. The priests are the judges.
VICTORY
The entire people destroy the idols in the Temple, and light candles
on a Menorah (made by the "artisans").
CLOSING PARTY
The party is to be held in the evening and includes a sing-along, sufganiyot
etc. A representative of each group summarizes the aim of the group
and his/her conclusions. The organizer delivers a final summing up,
recalling the historical context (emphasizing that it was the Maccabees
who triumphed) and draws a link with contemporary Jewish reality: particularly
the problem of assimilation and the importance of preserving our specific
national Jewish character.
Based on a simulation game developed by Yizhak Friedman for the Center
for Leadership Development and Productions, Youth and Hechalutz Department.