At the Iris Berman Early Childhood Center at Suburban Torah, students have been focusing on the nes of Chanukah, and that the oil that was found in the Beit Hamikdash and lasted for eight days instead of one day. The yeladim were chatting amongst themselves about the oil. The teachers eavesdropped a bit:

“We make latkes in oil.” “We fry them.” “We eat doughnuts, too!” “They are fried in oil, too!” Morah, can we have doughnuts?” “Can we make doughnuts?” “I like vanilla frosting on mine.”

The children were really getting into this. So the morahs decided to make doughnuts in the kitah.

Since no one knew what the ingredients were, first there was a discussion about what everyone knew about doughnuts. They talked about what they like IN doughnuts and ON doughnuts. Some of the items mentioned by the yeladim were chocolate and vanilla icing and jelly. Then the morahs opened a jar of strawberry jam. They spread a little out on a plate and they yeladim saw the tiny seeds. They put some real strawberries next to the jam to compare them. They noticed that the jam is a lot darker than real strawberries, and when they felt it with their fingers they noticed it was thick as well. Then they tasted the jam. It was sweet and delicious. The yeladim loved eating the jam.

After talking about doughnuts and jam all week, and tasting and feeling jam as well, everyone just had to make their own jam. Then the yeladim looked at the strawberries before putting them in the crock pot. “They are so red!” they said. They added sugar and cooked it in the crockpot for about five hours. The yeladim were so excited for their Shabbat party. They were given plain doughnuts and were able to dip them into the strawberry jam that they had made. Everyone really enjoyed the experience with doughnuts and homemade jam. Maybe during Chanukah they will even fry their own doughnuts.