This is a photograph of the choir and orchestra of the Haifa Reali School performing Joseph Haydn’s Toy Symphony at their Chanukah party in 1945. There is a sign hanging on the curtains behind the orchestra which reads “Chanukah Party, 5706.” At the front of the stage there is a Chanukiya with five candles burning, as presumably it was the fifth night of Chanukah. The choir members are all girls, and they are wearing white shirts with the emblem of the Reali School. The orchestra, consisting of both girls and boys, are all playing the violin. The conductor stands in the middle of the stage in front of the choir. This photograph is part of the Reali School Album at the National Library of Israel.
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The Reali School - The Reali School was established in 1913 after the so-called “War of the Languages,” a dispute about which language should become the official language of the Jewish state. The school made a decision to speak and teach only in Hebrew and thus became a pioneer in Israeli education and cultural life. Many of the school’s initiatives were later adopted by the Ministry of Education, such as incorporating National Service and the Scout movement, starting a student council, requiring students to complete term papers, and others.
Chanuka - Chanuka celebrates the rededication of the Temple by Judah the Maccabee and his army after their victory over the Greeks in 165 BCE. One of the well-known miracles of the Chanukah story is the small portion of oil that was able to light the Menorah in the Temple and burn for eight nights. Chanukah begins on 25 Kislev and is celebrated by lighting a Chanukiya for eight nights. It is also traditional to eat fried foods (to symbolise the oil) and play with spinning tops known as dreidles.
