Hanukkah Dreidels
Happy Hanukkah! Get in the holiday spirit by exploring some unique dreidels in the Jewish Museum Collection.
Many people are familiar with the menorah, but some may not know about the dreidel game that is played during the festive holiday of Hanukkah. A dreidel is a four-sided spinning top with Hebrew letters–nun, gimel, hey, and shin–printed on each side.
These are the first letters in each word of a Hebrew phrase that means “A Great Miracle Happened There.”
Dreidel (18th century) by Unknown Artist/MakerThe Jewish Museum, New York
To play dreidel, each player begins with an equal number of coins or, the more kid-friendly option, chocolate gelt (money in Hebrew). Every player puts one coin into the center. Players then take turns spinning the dreidel.
Dreidel (1850/1950)The Jewish Museum, New York
If the dreidel lands on nun, the player gets nothing. If they spin gimel, the player gets all the coins. On hey, the player gets half of the coins. If they spin shin, the player must add a coin into the center. Explore a few dreidels in the Jewish Museum Collection.
Jonathan Adler’s Mod-Diamond Dreidel from 2010 is made of white porcelain with a high gloss white glaze and adorned with bright geometric blocks of brown, green, and blue.
Laura Cowen’s Smart Dreidel from 2008 is made of a thin acrylic disc adorned with multicolored, laser-printed text arranged in concentric circles explaining the rules of the dreidel game.
Hanukkah Lamp and Dreidel (1982) by Moshe ZabariThe Jewish Museum, New York
Moshe Zabari’s gilded brass Hanukkah Lamp and Dreidel from 1982 includes a dreidel enclosed in a circle extended from its base.
Michael Berkowicz and Bonnie Srolovitz-Berkowicz’s Executive Dreidel from 1993 is made of silver-plated brass.
This wood dreidel was made in Poland in the 18th century.
Enjoy an in-person visit to the Jewish Museum to celebrate the holidays! Plan your visit.
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