Sketching Out Blog: Sketches of art, watercolor, photos, recipes, books, interviews, Jewish topics, and Highland Park, New Jersey

Sivivon – Dreidel – Spinning Top

dreidel art
The game of dreidel (yiddish – the Hebrew is sivivon) is associated with Chanukah because when the Assyrian Greeks came to see if the Jews were studying Torah, a practice which was banned, the Jews would take out the spinning top and play that game instead. The four Hebrew letters on the dreidel are Nun, Gimel, Heh and Shin – short for Nes Gadol Hayah Sham (a great miracle happened there). In Israel the dreidel has a Peh instead of the Shin, for Nes Gadol Hayah Po (a great miracle happened here).

There is a game with the dreidel that involves pennies and taking the pot of pennies if you get a gimel, giving it in if you get a shin, half the pot for heh, but it is all luck. My kids just spin them and spin them and spin them. What do you do with your dreidels?

I did the above drawing with black marker, then I colored it in with Photoshop. I promised my daughter she could color in the original with colored pencil. If she does, I will post that version as well.

Robin from Israel says

I love this - so cheery and colorful, and very festive too :).

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Leora says

Thank you!

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Ilana-Davita says

What a festive drawing! I have a collection of spin tops but they are not all dreidels but it is an interesting collectioN

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Leora says

Nice subject for a photograph?

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Ilana-Davita says

Why not?

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Mrs. S. says

Lovely drawing! I'm looking forward to your daughter's version. Happy Chanukah!

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EG Wow says

Thank you for explaining why the dreidel is associated with Chanukah! Happy Chanukah, Leora!

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Leora says

Glad you got something out of my introductory paragraph. Enjoy your holidays.

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