Making Hanukkah memories
The Jewish ‘Festival of Lights’ begins Wednesday night
What makes a holiday memorable?
With the first Hanukkah candle being kindled on Wednesday night (Dec. 25), we asked members of the local Jewish community to share personal reminiscences.
The eight-day holiday, often known as the “Festival of Lights,” celebrates religious freedom and commemorates the rededication of the Second Temple in Jerusalem in the second century BCE, after the Jewish people rose up against oppressors in the Maccabean Revolt.
The best-known symbol of Hanukkah is the menorah, the Hebrew word for lamp. Also called a “hanukkiah,” it has nine branches and comes in a wide variety of artistic styles. The branch that stands above the rest is used to light the others. Accompanied by the singing of Hebrew blessings, an additional candle is added each night.
That candle-lighting tradition is deeply personal for Rabbi Karen Bodney-Halasz, senior rabbi at Dayton’s Temple Israel.
“My grandmother’s family carried their treasured 150-year-old hanukkiah when they fled Poland during World War II,” she relates. “Through more than five generations, its flames have honored God, celebrated our traditions, and now serve as a tribute to the over 100 members of our family who perished in the Holocaust.”
That cherished menorah and the touching story it represents were pictured on a Hallmark card for the holiday.
Bodney-Halasz says one of the most important aspects of Hanukkah is known as Pirsumei Nisa or “publicizing the miracle.”
“When we light the candles of the menorah, tradition instructs us to place it by a window so the miracle of the oil and the celebration of the rededication of the ancient Temple can be shared with the world,” she said.
Her family regularly honors that tradition by prominently displaying their menorah. Her children love decorating the window panes, and last year added glowing inflatable decorations to the mix.
But these days, that part of the tradition can bring with it some anxiety.
“With the steep rise in antisemitism, some members of the Jewish community worry that this visibly marks their home as Jewish and may call unwanted attention,” Bodney-Halacz said. “I understand and relate to these concerns, as it is not an easy time to be Jewish. Nevertheless, I pray that we don’t let hate keep us from our traditions. By participating in Pirsumei Nisa, we teach our children not to let fear win over faith.”
Traditions in other lands
When Sara Faust was 10 years old her family moved from Houston to Israel.
“I was used to being the only Jewish family on the block and was surprised and pleased to see Hanukkah menorahs in every window in our neighborhood in Jerusalem,” said Faust, who now lives in Oakwood. “There is even a special box shaped like a house with a metal frame, glass sides and a chimney called a Jerusalem menorah. You can put your lit menorah inside of it and place it outside on your balcony or garden wall for all to see.”
When she was 6 years old, Faust won a raffle at the Jewish Community Center. The prize was a gift certificate to the gift shop.
“I chose a small hanukkiah made in Israel that held birthday candles. Now, 55 years later, I have a bigger and fancier hanukkiot, but I still treasure that one.”
Gift giving is part of the Hanukkah tradition. Faust said people sometimes comment that Jewish children are lucky because they get eight nights of presents instead of only one night.
“Our children received a gift each night but one night would be the gift that their grandparents sent, another night would be a gift from an aunt or uncle. On some nights the gift might be going out to a movie or receiving a special chocolate bar.”
Some families give gifts to the less fortunate on one of the nights of Hanukkah or volunteer at a food pantry.
The traditional Israeli Hanukkah dessert is a special yeast dough donut with jelly filling called sufganiyot. Faust will never forget a party where they were frying the delicacies. When the host brought out the piping syringe to inject the jelly, one of the guests fainted due to their fear of hypodermic needles!
Every year her own family gathers to make potato pancakes called latkes.
“My father-in-law was the master fryer, always making them crispy and golden,” she said. “He had a special pan that was reserved for this annual task. When he passed away, I inherited the pan and my sons have continued the tradition of making the Perfect Potato Pancakes.”
Celebrating in Peru
Ruth and Enrique Ellenbogen grew up in Lima, Peru. “My mother and her two sisters and my grandma would plan one night of Hanukkah,” she said. “Each one of them had to bring enough latkes for everyone and there were never duplicates so we all got to taste many different recipes—some included spinach, zucchini, noodles. It was wonderful — my grandma had an enormous table, the house was glowing in light and the platters looked amazing.”
She said all of the aunts would buy gifts for everyone.
“But they were small gifts, personalized and gift wrapped with little notes. The aunts would stand at one end of the room and call out each package.”
Ellenbogen, who lives in Butler Twp., said her immediate family always lights several menorahs, including some the children had made while students at Hillel Academy.
Merging traditions
Laura Hochstein of Centerville was raised Presbyterian at Fairmont Presbyterian Church in Kettering. “My grandfather helped build the church and I was the third generation to go there,” she said. “I now attends SouthBrook Christian Church in Miamisburg.
“My husband, Scott, is Jewish and Laura said they both knew from the start they wanted to learn about each other’s religions and then eventually teach their children about both as they grew up.” “It’s not always easy but we have maintained that same mindset, and when the kids were little they went to Sunday school where they learned about Hanukkah and its significance, along with other important Jewish holidays and traditions.”
As her children have gotten older, the family has found a way to incorporate both religions. At Hanukkah and Christmas they celebrate what they call Christmukkah.
“Our house is decorated for both Christmas and Hanukkah and we celebrate with our immediate family and our extended families as much as we can. We light menorahs that were given to us and passed down from our family, and we sit around a Christmas tree that used to be my parents.”
Hochstein said they have also enjoyed hosting non-Jewish friends over the years for one night of Hanukkah in order to teach them and their families about the backstory of the holiday.
“It’s been fun to teach them the prayers, how to light the menorah and to show them what we eat and how to play dreidel.”
The game involves a spinning top with Hebrew letters on each of its sides. Where it lands determines how many tokens are earned. The tokens can be anything from coins to candy.
“We feel our children have a good sense of who they are, as both a Christian and a Jew,” Hochstein said. “We fully celebrate both holidays. Hanukkah has always been a fun time getting together with family and our children look forward to it every year.”
In some years, like this one, Hanukkah and Christmas coincide.
“With Hanukkah starting on the night of Christmas, we will celebrate Christmas like usual but then, when the evening comes, we will light the candles and say the prayers either with just the four of us or my husband’s parents,” said Hochstein. “On the second or third night of Hanukkah we will have latkes and donuts to celebrate.”
When it comes to gift giving, the Hochsteins usually split the gifts between the two holidays. “But as our children have gotten older, for Hanukkah we don’t do a gift each night. Instead we usually do a gift one night and then something together as a family the next night, like a game or go somewhere like a movie. Dec. 25 will be a packed day this year, but worth it!”
Credit: submitted
Credit: submitted
Credit: Submitted
Credit: Submitted
Credit: Credit: Sara Faust.
Credit: Credit: Sara Faust.
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