Digitizing History: Palestine Broadcasting Service, 1936-1948

Religious Affairs

How was this put into practice?

The three main religions: Christian, Moslem, Jewish

Christian: Music; The Church; YMCA; Sunday; Easter; Christmas.
Moslem: Music; The Quran; Ramadan; Druze; Bedouin.
Jewish: Music; Bible Readings; Sabbath; Festivals and Holy Days (Chanukah; Tu B'Shvat (New Year for Trees); Purim; Passover; Shavuot; Sukkot; Tisha B'Av ; Rosh Hashana (Jewish New Year); Yom Kippur (Holiest Day of the Jewish Year). Cantors (Chazanut).

RAMADAN

HANUKKAH: THE FEAST OF LIGHTS

Hanukkah, the Feast of Lights, one of Jewry's most -festive holidays, has its origin in the Hebrew Legends of the Maccabee Period, during the second century B.C.E. It is a story of the bravery of Mathias and his five sons who gathered about them an army which succeeding in defeating the Greeks who then ruled over Palestine. After their great victory,Mathias and his men came to the Temple in Jerusalem to celebrate their freedom from serfdom to the Greeks. They found the Temple desecrated and all the vessels and oils unfit for religious use. In their search throughout the Holy Structure they came upon a small can of oil bearing the seal of the High Priest which allowed them to use it in their Thanksgiving service. However, the oil was sufficient for only one night. But a miracle took place, according to the legend, and the small portion of oil lasted for eight days.

Thus it is, that today Jews celebrate this feast for eight days, on each night lighting a candle to recall to them each one those anxious days when the one-day supply of oil burned on.

It is a feast of rejoicing for Jewry who find in. contemplation of those heroic days something of the grandeur that was their's in the past. Hanukkah has become one of the most popular festivals in the Jewish /calendar. Dances, songs, games and general gaiety mark ths holiday although throughout the festivities there foliates a thread of dignity and restraint which distinguishes it from holidays such as Purim.

A feature of this festival are the hot pancakes which have become the special dish of Hanukkah and which may be had at all times in every Jewish home throughout the eight days.Its essentially a children's holiday and in this respect parallels Christmas, the two festivals almost invariably running into each other. This year Hanukkah begins on December 17 and ends on December 25.

For the children it is week of unceasing festivities, gay parties, plays, and - what is most important - presents. For them every distant relative becomes anuncle or aunt who is expected to come forward with a suitable gift

For Children Only

CHRISTMAS

We hope that you're not going to be too busy next week, and that there'll still be time in between sending off your Christmas presents and arranging your parties to listen in to Children's Hour.

Tuesday's Children's Hour promises to be great fun. It's called "The Patchwork Quilt" and it's written by Monica Marsden, who writes such lovely stories about her three naughty Dachshunds. This time she hasn't written a story, but a musical feature programme. You know, don't you, that patchwork quilts are made from little pieces of material of all different colours and kinds - old pieces of stuff cut from a dress or a curtain, so of course every little patch brings back a memory. The patchwork quilt which you are going to hear about on Tuesday belongs to the grandmother of a little girl called Nadine, and it brings back lovely memories, sad and gay.

Then also on Tuesday you'll hear some songs about Christmas : "The Little Boy that Santa Claus Forgot", "The Fairy on The Christmas Tree", and "The Night Before Christmas", and they're all rather sweet. On Friday there will be a pageant especially for Christmas. It's called "While Shepherds Watched" and it's been written by Flora Moody who writes many plays for Children's Hour - the last ones were about the "Jan" Family.

We know that you're going to like this pageant, which will have many lovely carols in it and very many beautiful scenes filled with the true spirit of Christmas. So even if you're at a party, turn on the radio set and let all the children you're with listen in too. In next week's column we shall give you more details of the Christmas Pageant, including the theme of the song "While Shepherds Watched". PHOTO: MARGARET ROSE
Who Likes To Play The Boy In Children's Hours

Religious Music, Bible Readings and Song