Menorah & Dreidel Set (Hanukkah Set)

[skukla]

There have been several versions of Rebecca's menorah and dreidel, which have been combined into this review thread.
First Version: Hanukkah Set 2009-2014, with a wooden dreidel and shiny brass-colored menorah.
Second Version: Menorah and Dreidel Set I 2016-2018, with a metal dreidel and a less shiny menorah.
Third Version: Menorah and Dreidel Set II 2019- , with a wooden dreidel and shiny menorah.
When adding your own reviews to this thread, please indicate which version you're reviewing (if known).

First Version (Hanukkah Set)
Rebecca can't wait to light the menorah and celebrate Hanukkah, the Jewish Festival of Lights! This set features:
A beautiful menorah and nine pretend candles
A dreidel Rebecca and her cousins spin to play games
Three shiny coins, called gelt

Second Version (Menorah and Dreidel Set I)
Hanukkah is Rebecca’s favorite time of the year, and she dreams of the honor of lighting her family’s treasured menorah during the Festival of Lights. This set includes:
A menorah with nine pretend candles, one for each of the eight days of Hanukkah and one to light them with
A metal dreidel, a toy that Jewish girls have loved for centuries—it really spins!
A set of shiny pretend coins, called gelt, that can be won in the dreidel game

Third Version (Menorah and Dreidel Set II)
Rebecca can’t wait to start lighting the candles on her family’s treasured menorah for Hanukkah. This set includes:
A metal menorah with nine pretend candles, one for each of the eight days of Hanukkah and one to light them with
A traditional wooden dreidel, a toy that Jewish girls have loved for centuries—it really spins!
A set of shiny pretend metal coins, called gelt, that can be won in the dreidel game


First Version (Hanukkah Set)

This is one solid set and very worth the price of $22.00! The menorah is a heavy brass colored metal. The candles have a little lip, that allows them to all sit straight and at the same height in the menorah with very little effort. The gelt (coins) are also made of metal and clink nicely when they touch. The coins are 2 wheat pennies and a Barber dime, all dated 1914. The dreidel has the Hebrew letters in the correct spots, and is made of unpainted wood.

[Deleted]

First Version (Hanukkah Set)

I have the Hanukkah set and I LOVE it! It's very well-made (real metal menorah), easy to play with (although there are lots of small pieces so it's definitely not for young kids) and SO ADORABLE.

Pix:

[janettegoldstein]

First Version (Hanukkah Set)

I really enjoy this set. The menorah is beautiful with the Lion of Judah theme. It is heavy and has an authentic feel to it. Beautiful with play factor as well. Much easier for my children to play with the candles as compared to the JLY set.

[mamared]

Second Version (Menorah and Dreidel Set I)

“Hanukkah is Rebecca’s favorite time of the year, and she dreams of the honor of lighting her family’s treasured menorah during the Festival of Lights. This set includes:

A menorah with nine pretend candles, one for each of the eight days of Hanukkah and one to light them with

A metal dreidel, a toy that Jewish girls have loved for centuries—it really spins!

A set of shiny pretend coins, called gelt, that can be won in the dreidel game.”

This set was made 2016-2018 and retailed for $36, which I think is a little pricey although the set does seem well made. I would rate it an A at less than retail price and maybe a B+ at full price.

Here are all the pieces:



The menorah is made of a heavy brass-colored metal. It looks less shiny than pictures of Rebecca’s earlier Hanukkah Set, but otherwise very similar. Without the candles, it measures 3 inches tall, 3-3/8 inches across, and a little more than 3/4 inches deep at the widest points. There are a pair of lions flanking an image of the Hebrew menorah in the center, with eight candle holders (for the eight days of Hanukkah) in front and room for the ninth helper candle (shamash) above. Grade: A




The candles are a little under 2 inches tall and have a little lip near the bottom. It’s easy to stand them up in the menorah. I didn’t try to push them all the way in up to the lip on the candles, as they seemed secure already. They have about a 1/8 inch diameter. I wish there was some kind of wick detail on the opposite end, but it’s not that big of a deal to me. A couple of my candles were very slightly warped right out of the package, but again, not that big of a deal to me. Grade: B ( I don’t love them, but I think they’ll hold up to play just fine.)



The dreidel is made of metal rather than wood, which seems to be the main difference (other than the price) from Rebecca’s earlier Hanukkah Set. It’s just over an inch tall, and has the four symbols in the proper order embossed on the sides. At first I wondered if it might be too heavy for the dolls to hold, but it can actually be held snugly in the right hand. I haven’t read Rebecca’s books yet so I’m not sure whether wood or metal dreidels are more accurate to her stories, or if it makes a difference, but I think my personal preference would be wood. Grade: A-



The gelt consists of two wheat pennies and a Barber dime, all dated 1914 and made of a shiny lightweight metal. These look just like the pieces from the earlier set. Grade: A




Overall, I think this is a nice set with good play value. There seem to be relatively minor differences between this set and the earlier Hanukkah set, mainly the menorah’s shininess and the material that the dreidel is made of. FWIW, I bought mine new in store, but as both sets are now retired, I sometimes see secondary market listings mislabeled or with some combination of the Hanukkah and Menorah and Dreidel names.