A Winter's Tale - Israel Time

A Winter’s Tale focuses on Chanukah and Purim, both related to events that occurred during the Second Temple. The story of Purim took place in the Persian Empire, and the story of Chanukah - in Judah, under Hellenistic rule.  

Check our A Winter's Tale info page on the menu here.

This tour highlights some history and archaeology from those empires, and examines these holidays through a philosophical lens. These are the last holidays of the Jewish Year before Passover, and they play a unique role in the development of the Nation of Israel.  

This tour is more appropriate for adults, but can be customized for elementary and high school, with less of a philosophical and more of an historical emphasis. 

The name is inspired by Mark Helprin’s book, A Winter’s Tale:

“All rivers run full to the sea; those who are apart are brought together; the lost ones are redeemed; the dead come back to life; the perfectly blue days that have begun and ended in golden dimness continue, immobile and accessible; and, when all is perceived in such a way as to obviate time, justice becomes apparent not as something that will be, but something that is.”  

– A Winter’s Tale, by Mark Helprin