The first night of Chanukah is Sunday, November 28th
Here's your special Chanukah Connections, filled with
candle lighting information, food tips, and more.
Have a wondrous, light-filled holiday!
And we hope you had a happy Thanksgiving, too!
It wasn't quite Thanksgivvukah -- that was in 2013 -- but it was pretty close!
Since the next Thanksgivvukah won't occur for 75,000 years, here's some really interesting information to tide you over:
Did you know that the Pilgrims based the first Thanksgiving on the Jewish harvest festival of Sukkot? You can read all about Thanksgiving's Jewish roots here.
Now, back to Chanukah. Read on for suggestions and tips to help make your holiday glow.
CANDLES
Light the first candle of Chanukah on Sunday, November 28 (25 Kislev), after sunset.
Add candles to the chanukiah from right to left (like Hebrew writing). But light them (with the shamash) from left to right -- think of it as "welcoming" the newest candle first. Rabbi Sharfman suggests remembering this by thinking about our ancestors Abraham and Sarah, who were known for being welcoming and gracious hosts.
PRAYERS
Can't remember the blessings over the candles? We understand! Chanukah comes but once a year, after all. Click here to read the blessings or hear them here.
GIVINGTUESDAY
This year GivingTuesday falls on the second day of Chanukah (November 30).
GivingTuesday was created in 2012 to counteract the spending of Black Friday and Cyber Monday with philanthropic giving. It started in the U.S. and has quickly made its way across more than 70 countries.
We truly appreciate the generosity and support of our members and friends, and hope you will consider making a donation to Kehillah this GivingTuesday. Click here for our secure donation link. Thank you!
We're thinking of potato latkes and sufganiyot, of course. Here's a great basic latke recipe from Tori Avey, and a yummy sufganiyot recipe (with video) from Joan Nathan.
But why stop there? For Chanukah food ideas from around the world, see this article (with recipes) by food writer and filmmaker Susan Barocas.
BUT DON'T FORGET THE CHOCOLATE
As for chanukah gelt, we encourage you to enjoy guilt-free gelt by making sure your chocolate is certified "Fair Trade." As Rabbi Sharfman has taught, this ensures that the supply chain is free of child labor and forced labor, and that farmers were paid a sustainable price for their cocoa. You can find Fair Trade items for Chanukah and other holidays here.
A note from Rabbi Sharfman:
"As we prepare to celebrate with family and friends,
it's important to share the gifts that have been given to us
with others. MAZON is one of my favorite organizations."
by Daveed Diggs -- yes, that Daveed Diggs, of Hamilton fame. If you're curious about how this klezmer/rap mashup came to be, you can read the backstory here and here.
Speaking of mashups, the Maccabeats put a great spin on I Have a Little Dreidel. (See what we did there?) Rabbi Sharfman says, If you're a Queen fan, be sure to watch through the end!
Probably the most traditional Chanukah song is STILL Maoz Tzur (Rock of Ages) -- sorry, Adam Sandler! You can brush up on the lyrics to Maoz Tzur with this easy-to-follow sing-along.
(By the way, if it feels like there are way more Chanukah songs now than years ago, there's a reason for that.)
You'll surely find new-to-you music in this feature, 11 Great Modern Chanukah Songs -- and you can click on the playlist options for your party soundtrack.
