Chanukah is a joyous time for MJDS students, and each year we aim to bring something new and meaningful to our work with the children. This year we focused on olive oil to commemorate the miracle that began the festival of lights. Not only did the children learn about harvesting olives for oil, but they made their own olive oil during an Olive Pressing workshop presented by Rabbi Yonah. They discovered that oil can be used to create soap and body lotion, and that there are many different kinds of oil and each has its own distinct flavour and colour. Science experiments, cooking lessons and art projects were also focused on the various uses for oils. 

Using a Centrifuge to Separate Oil

• It takes at least ten pounds of olives to make one liter of oil

• A traditional olive mill is called beit h'bad

• Hundreds of olive varieties exist around the world

• Traditionally it takes eight days to separate the oil from the juice

• You can use a centrifuge to speed up the process of separating the oil

• Olives are at their prime for only about two or three weeks and then the healthy compounds rapidly diminish over the next two to five weeks