good but not the best shalom sesame

This video teaches about Chanukah & does so in a fairly entertaining fashion. The toddler I work with loves this video. Compared to the Aleph Bet Telethon video from Shalom Sesame, this one is not nearly as entertaining or alive. This video is good for: teaching the letters on the dreidle & what they stand for, explaining why some dreidles say 'shin' and some say 'pay', introducing a few Chanukah songs, & for explaning the story of Chanukah (though I think it may have been more successful if presented in a different fashion). Overall I think this is a very good movie for a young child & is worth buying.

Another good Shalom Sesame episode

I love the series although this particular episode isn't my favorite of the bunch (stars Jeremy Baxter of '80's sitcom fame) because of the outdated humor (especially in the Vanna White skit), but it's still a good tape to teach children about Israeli/Jewish culture and the story behind Chanukah. I would have liked for there to be some scenes of gift giving, not because that's the point of holidays but because it's hard for my kids to understand that they don't need Christmas when Chanukah has presents, too. But they watch Bear In the Blue House Berry Christmas and understand that Chanukah is like Christmas, so I guess that's taken care of. Back to this Shalom Sesame Chanukah episode--some parts are slow, so it might not hold kids' attention too long. The music will bring them back in--it's lively and good as always (Hebrew-dubbed in parts on the usual muppet pop-rock songs) and overall it's a fun-filled tape for all children to experience Jewish culture in a positive light. I recommend The People of Israel and The Passover episodes.

A fun and informative Hanukkah video

"Shalom Sesame" is the Israeli version of Sesame Street. (Don't worry, its done in English!) The series is very nice for Jewish children who love Sesame Street but feel left out, especially at Hanukkah time. Some of the characters on this video are different from the U.S. program, such as Kipi the giant hedgehog instead of Big Bird, and we get to meet a relative of Oscar, who is just as grouchy. This Hanukkah episode explores that holiday, and features guest star Joan Rivers (who, in case you didn't know it, is Jewish.)