‘Rugrats Chanukah’
“Rugrats Chanukah,” Rugrats‘ 1996 special, is the standard-bearer of the holiday. The 23-minute-long special tells the story of Hanukkah through the eyes of Tommy, Chuckie, Phil, Lil, and Angelica, with some special help from Tommy’s very Jewish grandparents, Minka and Boris. As Grandma Minka reads aloud a book about the holiday, the babies imagine themselves as the Hanukkah story’s main characters, Judah and the Maccabees. “Rugrats Chanukah” (more or less) accurately explains the history, practices, and themes of Hanukkah to kids, but more importantly, it defined how an entire generation of young Jews understand and relate to the holiday. This holiday season, treat yourself to a large plate of latkes and check it out.