Projo Holidays Blog

December 4, 2007 Archives

A friend of mine from South Kingstown would bring his own handmade latkes to another friend's annual Christmas party.

They were a wintertime Jewish treat this mostly-Italian person had never tried to cook. Ken assured me they weren't that hard to make.

So, this year, I hope he's bringing them again.

But in the meantime, if you'd like to give the traditional Hanukkah offering a try, here are several versions of the recipe, from the classic potato to those made with zucchini and garlic. (Talk about a marriage of cultures.)

Another helpful hint from this writer at the Columbus Dispatch -- no need to fry them up while your guests are waiting. You can make them ahead of time, too.

AP photo
Noah Brezner, 4, holds a menorah while in his pre-kindergarden class at the Bertha Alyce Early Childhood Center at the Jewish Community Center of Houston yesterday. The class has been in preparation for Hanukkah for the past week.

Hanukkah, the Jewish Festival of Lights, begins at sundown today, which is at 4:15 p.m. in Providence.

The eight-day festival marks the Jewish people’s victory over their Syrian-Greek oppressors in 165 B.C. and the re-establishment of their political and religious freedom. It is customarily celebrated by the lighting of the menorah, an eight-branched candelabrum (with an additional server candle) with one candle for each of the eight nights.

According to the ancient story, when the Jews re-dedicated the Holy Temple, there was only enough oil remaining to light the Temple menorah for one day. Miraculously, as the story goes, the oil lasted eight days, thus the holiday’s duration now.

The method for using one additional candle in the menorah on each consecutive night of Hanukkah dates back to a compromise made by two first-century scholars, Rabbi Hillel and Rabbi Shammai, according to Rabbi Sarah Mack, associate rabbi at Temple Beth-El in Providence.

Hillel argued that the Jewish people should use one candle on the first night of the holiday and use an additional candle each consecutive night. Shammai argued that the Jewish people should light eight candles on the first night and use one less candle on each consecutive night. "And Hillel wins," Mack said.

If you’re lighting the candles tonight, put the candle for the first night of the holiday in the far right of the menorah, as you face the candelabrum. Another candle goes in the Shamash, which is the raised holder for the candle used to light the other candles.

On later nights of Hanukkah, when you have more candles in the menorah, place the first candle in the holder to the far right and then move left with the additional candles. Then, when you light the candles, light the one on the left first and move right, lighting each consecutive candle.

If you live outside of Providence, click here to find out when sunset is in your community. Go online to learn how to play the dreidel game that has held the interest of Jewish children for generations.

-- projo.com staff writer Kate Bramson (originally posted Dec. , 2006)