Dreidel is a top-spinning game that can be traced back to the story of Chanukah and the Greek occupation of what is now Israel in 163 B.C.E.  During the occupation, Jews were prohibited from practicing their religion or studying the Torah.  The game of Dreidel was a way to teach Hebrew letters to children, but disguised as a game.

The game itself is played by spinning a four-sided top, called a dreidel. The children playing start with a certain amount of chocolate pieces – or raisins, in healthier households --  and each child antes up one piece into the pot at the beginning of each round. The four sides of the dreidel are marked with a Hebrew letter, each one representing a different score. The first letter, Nun, means none, Gimmel means take it all, Shin means put one in, and Hay means take half.  The children take turns spinning the dreidel and taking what they earn from each pot, or putting a piece in when they hit a Shin, until one child has all the chocolate.

Health Plus donated the dreidels to many organizations, including the Metropolitan Council on Jewish Poverty, the United Jewish Council of the Lower East Side, the United Jewish Organization of Williamsburg, the Central Jewish Council of North Brooklyn, Chabad of Brooklyn Heights, Borough Park Jewish Community Council, Queens Jewish Community Council, Yeshiva Darchei Torah, the Jewish Community Council of Staten Island, and many more, which, in turn, distributed the tops to families in need.

“At Health Plus, we’re delighted to celebrate the “Festival of Lights” with our Jewish neighbors,” said Tom Early, Executive Director of Health Plus.  “This community has welcomed us with open arms, and it is an honor for us to be able to share this joyous holiday with them.”