Chanukah

"Chanukah" is the first episode from Season 4 of Rugrats, and is one of two of the Rugrats Jewish-themed holiday specials, the other being "Passover".

Characters Present

 * Tommy
 * Chuckie
 * Phil
 * Lil
 * Angelica
 * Lou
 * Stu
 * Didi
 * Boris
 * Minka
 * Chas
 * Spike
 * Ester
 * Schlomo
 * Parade Crooner
 * Mt. Zion Woman's Choir
 * Donut Man
 * Rabbi
 * Greek Bully
 * Mr. Dreidel
 * Lowell

Synopsis
''The babies learn the story of Chanukah while visiting a synagouge with Boris, putting themselves in action. Meanwhile Boris and his old rival Shlomo work out their long-standing feud. - Description from Klasky Csupo ''

Act One
The Biblical-themed cartoon begins with Minka is storytelling with the babies about the first Chanukah. Long ago, in the land of Israel, the Israelites lived peacefully with the Greeks, until one day, a new Greek king, Antiochus V Eupator, came and wanted everyone to wear what he wore and read what he read, as well as worship his gods. Although some people thought this new way of life was fine, Judah was not one of them. One day, as he was privately trying to read the stories his forefathers read in a dark cave, King Antiochus' royal advisor found out and confiscated them. Outraged, Judah stepped forward to challenge the king. Judah bravely led the Israelites against the more powerful armies of King Antiochius. The story is suddenly cut short when Didi asks Minka for her help making latkes in the kitchen. Boris, who is asleep on the couch, awakens when he hears about the latkes, and explains how much he loves Chanukah. Angelica is glad the story is over, and finds for the remote control so that she can watch A Very Cynthia Christmas, unaware that Spike is sitting on it.

In the kitchen, Didi is cooking latkes, and Chaz questions why people make latkes out of potatoes. Didi explains to him that on Chanukah, the Jewish people fry them (as well as donuts) to remind them of the oil used in the miracle of the first Chanukah. Boris then explains that the true miracle is how long he's survived, since the latkes have obstructed his family's arteries for over two millenia. As Boris eats a latke, Chaz sees on the front page of the newspaper about the Meaning of Chanukah play at the synagogue. Boris is outraged when he finds out that his lifelong rival, Shlomo, has his picture on the front page instead of his own. When Didi tries to tell Chaz that Boris and Shlomo were friends as children, Boris retorts that Shlomo managed to outdo him at all they did together, including starting his own successful business while Boris got married and had children. Minka tells Didi that the real miracle of Chanukah would be Boris and Shlomo finishing the play without killing each other.

In the living room, Phil and Lil complain about the taste of the chocolate coins and toy dreidels, and Tommy explains to them that it's not even the weirdest part. He shows the twins and Chuckie that Didi and Minka are making "pancakes" for dinner. Then, he shows them the menorah on top of the television. Tommy explains to the group that even though he's unsure what it is, he does know that every night, he has to wear a funny hat while Boris says things he doesn't understand, then Didi lights another candle. Afterwards, he gets a present, such as a clown pillow he shows Chuckie, which scares him. Phil and Lil believe that the grownups are celebrating all of Tommy's birthdays at once, meaning he's now an adult who has to get a job. Tommy tells the twins that he doesn't look or feel any older, but the twins think that maybe it's because he has not blown the candles out yet. Tommy tries to do so, when Angelica walks in, having found the remote control. She asks what they are doing, and the babies explain to her that they're trying to blow out Tommy's birthday candles. Angelica tells them that the candles are not for Tommy's birthday, they're for Chanukah. Chuckie asks Angelica what Chanukah is, and Angelica explains him and the other babies that Chanukah takes place in between Thanksgiving and Christmas, when all the best holiday specials air on television, one of which, A Very Cynthia Christmas, she is planning to watch.

In the basement, Stu is working on a giant mechanical menorah for the Synagogue, which Lou objects to. Stu tells Lou that he wants Tommy to be proud of his Jewish heritage, and to prove to Didi that he is very supportive of Chanukah. Lou warns Stu that he might be overdoing it, but Stu is determined to prove him wrong by turning the menorah on. Flashing lights, music, and tiny hora dancers activate, but the amount of energy causes a power surge just as Angelica is about to watch the television. When Minka sees the lights dim and asks what's going on, Didi tells her about the menorah Stu is building for the play, which she wishes is not inappropriate. At first, Stu's menorah seems to be working just fine, but soon goes faster and faster until it explodes. Didi passes by the basement door and tells Stu and Lou it's time to go to the synagogue. Stu tells her to go ahead, and he'll meet her there as soon as he can as Lou tries to put out the fire in the basement.

Meanwhile, Angelica is delighted to hear that A Very Cynthia Christmas will be coming on after Santa vs. The Alien. Boris complains about Shlomo, who is being cast as King Antiochus. Boris feels that Shlomo took the part specifically for the scene where Antiochus threatens Judah with a sword. All during rehearsals, Shlomo would poke Boris in the chest with the fake sword. Didi then walks up to Angelica and cuts the television, telling her it's time to go to the synagogue to watch Boris' play of the Meaning of Chanukah. Angelica refuses to go to the synagogue, as all she wants is to watch A Very Cynthia Christmas. The babies overhear Boris complain about the Meaning of Chanukah play, and believe Shlomo to be the "Meanie of Chanukah". Chuckie empathizes with Boris, as he once had to play with a meanie at daycare, who made him lick a slide, hung him from the monkey bars, and put a worm on his head. Tommy asks if Shlomo will do that to Boris, but Chuckie explains him that an adult meanie will do much worse things. Tommy asks Chuckie what happened to the meanie at daycare, and Chuckie explains him that the teacher dug him out of the sand and made them both take a nap. This gives Tommy an idea; they should put the Meanie down for a nap of his own, but Chuckie objects to this idea.

When the babies and their parents arrive at the synagogue, Angelica asks Didi if there's a television in there. Tommy then asks Phil and Lil if they have what they need for their plan, and the twins show that they brought the clown pillow, a blanket, and a flashlight. Tommy vows that the Meanie is going down.

The Synagogue is filled with many Chanukah-related activities, including driedels available for sale, a photoshoot of Judah kicking King Antiochus, and a latke contest. Angelica tells Cynthia that they might be unable to see A Very Cynthia Christmas tonight, but at least they can still have pancakes for dinner. When Angelica tastes a latke, she hates the taste, griping that pancakes should not be made from potatoes. She tosses her latke on the floor, causing a man dressed like a dreidel to slip on it. She then runs off to look for a television to watch A Very Cynthia Christmas on.

Backstage, the Rabbi explains to the cast and crew that since Fred King is ill, Lowell Armstein will be playing the part of the Village Kvetch. Lowell is outraged, believing that he would be playing the part of King Antiochus. The Rabbi tells Lowell he told him he'd be replacing Mr. King. Lowell tells the Rabbi that he prepared a monologue with music. The Rabbi then realizes that Stu was supposed to come with the menorah, but now he's running late. Boris and Shlomo bicker over this. As it it turns out, Stu managed to land himself right in the middle of a Christmas parade, where the giant menorah fits right in.

Angelica comes to an altar, which she mistakes for an entertainment complex. She opens it up, revealing the Torah scrolls. The Rabbi enters and asks her if she'd like to know more about the Torah. Angelica tries to ask him if he knows where she can find a television, when she suddenly sees a small television on a janitor's cart. The Rabbi tries to teach Angelica about the Torah when Angelica runs after the janitor's cart. Angelica soon runs into the man in the driedel costume when he exits the men's restroom. He angrily tells her that she broke his shin. Angelica tries to apologize, but the man takes her to the nursery as a punishment where she cannot cause any trouble.

At the auditorium, the babies cannot find the Meanie of Chanukah, even though they've looked everywhere. The play begins, and Shlomo starts poking Boris with the sword. The babies rush onto the stage to try to stop Shlomo, much to the shock of Didi and Chaz.

Act Two
Angelica tries unsuccessfully to escape from the nursery, and get to the janitor's closet, where the TV is. Didi drops the babies off,  misunderstanding what's gotten into them, and handing them off to Ester, the nursery's manager. Ester tells her not to worry, and to go enjoy the rest of the play. Angelica asks the babies why they're there, and the babies regard her they tried to save Boris from the Meanie of Chanukah by putting the latter down for a nap, but their parents would not let them. This gives Angelica an plan. She explains the babies that the only thing that succeeds in putting a grown-up down for a nap is a television, since Lou always falls asleep in front of one, and she knows where one is.

Meanwhile, as Boris and Shlomo continue acting in the play, Boris inadvertently cuts off part of Shlomo's costume with the sword, exposing his boxers. Shlomo and Boris physically start fighting, and the Rabbi cuts the play short for an intermission with another verse from the women of the senior choir.

Back at the nursery, with Ester distracted with a diaper change, the babies manage to help Angelica escape. As this happens, Boris and Shlomo continue arguing with each other. Shlomo explains Boris that he's sick of hearing about his children and grandchildren. Boris counters that he'd be proud of his own children and grandchildren if he had any, but he was too busy with his special business. A shocked Shlomo admits that he and his late wife, Sadie, were not blessed with children, and his business was all he had to fall back on. Boris is remorseful for his actions, but before he can apologize, Shlomo gives him the crown from his costume. He says that he does not want to be King Antiochus anymore since he has no one to share the traditions with anyway, then he leaves. A guilty Boris hands the crown to Lowell, who happily takes it. After the women of the senior choir finish their song, Lowell rushes onstage and recites some poetry he wrote.

Inside the Janitor's closet, the Janitor falls asleep from watching a small television, which Angelica takes from him so she can watch the remaining minutes of A Very Cynthia Christmas. As Tommy tries to take the television so he can stop the Meanie of Chanukah, Angelica takes it away from him and tells him that she and Cynthia have some catching up to do. Tommy asks Angelica how they're supposed to stop the Meanie of Chanukah now, and as Angelica tries to tell Tommy that there is no Meanie of Chanukah, she runs into Shlomo backstage, causing her to drop the television and it shatters on the floor. The babies follow Angelica, then hide when they see Shlomo. Angelica cries over the broken television, and Shlomo tries to calm her down, but breaks the television even more, causing Angelica to cry even harder. The babies see Shlomo picking up Angelica, trying to calm her down, and believe he's being mean to her. Phil tries to scare Shlomo away by using Tommy's pillowcase and pretend to be a ghost, but ends up running into a table leg. Tommy then has an idea; since Boris always falls asleep after hearing a story, he's going to try to read the story of Chanukah to Shlomo. The babies run up to Shlomo, and he has no idea what they want. Boris arrives and asks what is happening. Shlomo explains, and Boris comforts Angelica. He guesses that the babies want Shlomo to read the rest of the story. Shlomo tells Boris that since he's Tommy's grandfather, he should read the story, but Boris insists that Shlomo do it since Tommy is holding the book out to him.

Shlomo picks up where Minka left off, where Judah defeated and exiled King Antiochus and won the right for his people to live and learn in the way of their forefathers. But, the land of Israel was in ruins after the war. When Judah and his friends came to their menorah, they found it broken, and its flame put out. Shlomo explains to the babies that a menorah is like the nightlight of the Jewish people, shining on the whole world in times of darkness and, reminding them not to be afraid to be different and to be proud of who they are. Boris is impressed, and explains to the babies that the menorah is filled with oil to make it burn. Shlomo adds that some people use candles in their menorahs. Boris then continues the story, explaining that although the Israelites repaired their temple, the Greeks only left them enough oil to burn in the menorah for one night. But, they lit the menorah anyway. Since it would take eight days to add more oil, the Israelites needed a miracle, and they got one, where eight days passed and the flame was still burning. So every year, the Jewish people light a menorah to remember the miracle of Chanukah. Shlomo falls asleep, and Tommy is delighted that his plan worked.

As Lowell continues his poetry, Stu arrives with the menorah. The Rabbi tells him to go on, and not bother about Lowell. Didi is worried, and rightfully so when the menorah explodes, causing the curtains to collapse. The audience sees Boris, Shlomo, and the babies backstage. Minka tells Didi to look, and Boris wakes Shlomo up. Shlomo finishes the play and tells everyone he wishes the children of the Jewish people will continue to carry on this ancient tradition for generations to come. Boris and Shlomo then say a Jewish prayer and sing in Hebrew together. Chuckie is happy that Boris and the "Meanie" can get along with each other, and Tommy declares this a miracle of Chanukah. Boris and Shlomo continue singing as the episode ends.

Trivia

 * When Angelica is talking about her show, she calls it "The Cynthia Christmas Extraganza Special", but the television voiceover calls it "A Very Cynthia Christmas".
 * Susie never appears on this episode due to her non-Jewish black ancestry.
 * The music in this episode was done by the Zion senior choir, who sing in both the title card and the credits. They also appear in the episode as a women's choir who perform Chanukah songs when there is a intermission during the Chanukah play.
 * This special marks the first of the "revival era" episodes.
 * The "menorah" that Schlomo puts the oil on is a "Hanukkiah". The difference between the two is that a menorah is a seven-branch candle holder (the one in the temple scenes is a menorah), and a Hanukkiah is a nine-branch candle holder.
 * The Rabbi appoints Lowell as The Village Kvetch in the play. "Kvetch" is a Yiddish term for someone who complains a lot, fitting Lowell's whiny nature.
 * This is the first episode not to use the regular title card. Instead, in this episode, there is a blue "Chanukah" in a black background with sacred music.
 * This episode is the first of the new episodes of Rugrats, made after the Rugrats show ended production in 1994 with the "Passover" episode airing as the last. Episodes after "Passover" are made by Nickelodeon.
 * 1 year, 7 months, and 3 weeks after the recent episode.
 * According to the Unofficial Rugrats Online, when Stu and Grandpa end up being in the holiday parade, "Let It Snow" originally played in the background. In 1999, they changed the background music to "Deck The Halls" due to copyright issues with the original music.
 * This is the fourth half-an-hour episode of the series after "Tommy's First Birthday", "The Santa Experience" and "Passover".
 * The animation in this special is noticeably different from previous and subsequent Rugrats episodes. The style is shown to be somewhat darker, with realistic shadowing effects and faster movements, very similar to Klasky-Csupo's other series at the time, Aaahh!!! Real Monsters, or the later seasons of All Grown Up! Additionally, for the remainder of the series, Boris' eyes are now redesigned, as being shown with sclera around his pupils instead of just being pupils as in prior episodes, and Phil is also now drawn with earlobes.
 * The music and some character's voices are noticeably different from recent episodes, this difference is heard from Season 4 on wards, with the exception of Lou Pickles until early Season 5 when Joe Alaskey took over after David Doyle's passing. This is also the final episode Denis M. Hannigan co-scored with Mark Mothersbaugh; for subsequent episodes, Mark's brother Bob Mothersbaugh (and occasionally Rusty Andrews) would be Mark's co-composer.
 * This is Lou Pickles' first speaking role since "Spike Runs Away".
 * This episode makes a triumphant return to Nickelodeon on December 3, 2018 as part of 25 Ways to Holiday.
 * This episode re-aired on Nicktoons during 25 Days of Nickmas 2020.
 * Material from this episode is slated to be adapted for the storybook A Rugrats Chanukah: The Classic Illustrated Storybook.