Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: FRIDAY, November 18, 1994 TAG: 9412080004
SECTION: HOLIDAY GIFT GUIDE PAGE: HGG-15 EDITION: METRO
SOURCE: SARAH COX
DATELINE: LENGTH: Medium
But it lasts eight nights, this year starting Nov, 28, and it is full of fun traditions that delight children and recall memories of that ancient triumph as well as family memories of games, candles and traditional foods.
Helene Katz's family has their own particular traditions, and they include some neighborhood children who are not Jewish.
Katz said her three sons, Jonathan (10), Scott (14) and Eric (17) have for years gone across the street to help one of the families decorate their Christmas tree, and in return, the neighbor girls from two different families come over to help light the Hanukkah candles.
Katz said the girls even have their own menorahs, which is the candle holder with eight holes designed specifically for this holiday.
Katz grew up in a Jewish family in Atlanta, and she can recall "a room with a pile of gifts.'' She said they played the dreidel game, which uses a kind of spinning top, as well as sang songs. Her family, particularly when the boys were younger, did these things, too.
And there were always the latkes, or potato pancakes, fried in oil (symbolic of the sacred oil which, in the second century, kept the flame in the Jewish temple going for eight days until more oil arrived). Katz said often latkes are served with applesauce, and offered a recipe from one of her cookbooks:
Potato Latkes
6 potatoes, grated and drained
3 eggs
1/4 t pepper
oil for frying
1 small onion, grated
1 t salt
1/4 cup flour
2 t baking powder
Mix all ingredients, heat oil, and drop in potato mixture by the spoonful. Brown on each side and drain on absorbent paper.
Katz said all the children vie for lighting the candles on the menorah, and as she has a fairly large collection of menorahs, eventually everyone gets a turn.
In addition to the neighbor children visiting one evening during Hanukkah, Katz's family also gets together with a group of four other families. When all the children were still at home, that made a total of 13 children, each family taking turns hosting the event from one year to the next.
Because of the extensive guest list, Katz said that only the children pick names for gifts. She said that if the event lands on a Friday night, they always celebrate with a true Sabbath dinner, as well, but in any case all the women pitch in to help make the meal.
And in addition, Katz said the person hosting the meal will have prepared little bags with candy, maybe a dreidel, and some gelt, which is chocolate money (the kind wrapped in gold foil). Katz said these traditions are important, because it's something to be passed on and looked back on.
Rabbi Gerry Fox of Beth Israel Synagogue downplays Hanukkah in his house, because it is a minor Jewish holiday. But of course they always light the menorah each night, sing songs and play the dreidel. They also have a traditional dinner at the synagogue, and the "featured food is latkes,'' said Fox.
Fox said they have a crew of mostly men who are experts at making them - "the place will smell for months'' of latkes, said Fox, but what's most fun is that it's a traditional, group activity.
"They work on it about half a day, and over 100 people come. That's a bunch of potato pancakes,'' said Fox.
In the Fox house, another collection of menorahs is always set out for the holiday
. "I have a very traditional-looking one, and also a dinosaur with candles running up the back. They're making all sorts of adorable ones now, for children of all ages,'' he said.
In addition to the menorahs, sometimes the house is also decorated as part of the celebration. Fox said that as a young child, he did a very elaborate window of decorations.
"There are all sorts of elaborate Hanukkah decorations now. They're all made in Taiwan,'' he said.
But whatever the nuance of the tradition, and wherever it's celebrated, Hanukkah recalls good memories throughout the world.
by CNB