Hanukkah begins when the sun goes down on

Sunday, Dec. 14, 2025

and lasts until sundown on

Monday, Dec. 22, 2025.

1st Candle at 4:56pm Southern Ocean County

Mark your calendars!

From Dec. 14–22, 2025, it’s time to light the menorah,

spin the dreidel,

and eat all the latkes you can handle.

Gather your family and friends,

swap some stories,

laugh a lot,

and enjoy every bit of this Festival of Lights.

from Jewbelong

Jewbelong’s Hanukkah Guide includes

the traditional blessings,

plus updated ones for each night

that you’ll actually relate to,

and two fun skits.

CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD

The Valentines

Chanukah’s defining commandment 

pirsum ha-nes 

(publicly proclaiming the miracle) asks us to put our menorahs in our windows for all to see.

We'd love to share your Chanukah pictures with the congregation. Just forward them to rvalen1963@aol.com

The JCC of LBI

CLICK BELOW FOR THE BLESSINGS AND MA'OZ TZUR

ALL I WANT FOR CHANUKAH

A lot of Christmas songs were written by Jews, except for, arguably, the best one: Mariah Carey’s “All I Want For Christmas.” But that didn’t stop singer Maskit Mati from filming an adorable Hanukkah parody of the song in which she sings that she doesn’t care “about the donuts under the hanukkiah” because “all I want for Hanukkah is you,” with impressive vocals and theatrical flair.

Mati, who hails from Australia but lives in New York City, filmed the video in the city’s iconic and oh-so-crowded Times Square with the billboards illuminating the shots like Hanukkah candles.

Click on the picture in the article link here to enjoy the parady.

Sheet Pan Latkes

Prep Time 15 minutes Cook Time 12 minutes

Total Time 30 minutes

from jamiegeller.com

Servings

4 Servings

Equipment

• 1 Half sheet pan

Ingredients

• ¼ cup extra virgin olive oil
• 2 medium russet potatoes (about 1 pound total), grated and squeezed dry
• 1 small onion grated
• 1 large egg beaten
• 1 tablespoon all-purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon kosher salt
• ¼ teaspoon freshly cracked black pepper

Instructions

• Preheat oven to 400 ℉. Pour ¼ cup evoo in a half sheet pan (or a sheet pan that fits in your oven). Place pan in oven for ten minutes until evoo is hot.
• In a medium bowl, combine grated potatoes, onions, egg, flour, salt and pepper. Mix well.
• Remove hot pan from oven and scoop out ⅛ cup batter onto baking pan to make about 8 latkes.
• Place in oven and “fry” for 6 minutes or until edges are golden brown. Remove pan from oven, use a spatula to flip the latkes and cook an additional 4-6 minutes. Serve hot. 

Easy Jelly Donut Recipe

Using premade biscuit dough makes sufganiyot easier than ever to make at home.

• Total Time: 10 minutes Yield: 24 mini or 8 large

Ingredients

• 1 package refrigerated biscuit dough
• vegetable oil, for frying
• jam, prepared pudding, Nutella or other filling
• powdered sugar

Instructions

1. Heat around 3 inches of oil in a large, deep pan over medium-high heat (oil should be 350°F). To see if the oil is hot enough, use a thermometer or place wooden skewer into the oil. If small bubbles appear, it’s ready for frying.
2. Remove biscuits from the can. To make small donuts, cut into rounds using a soda cap or other small circular device. Or you can fry the biscuits as is.
3. Drop the small donuts in 5-6 at a time; for full biscuits, 2-3 at a time. Fry for 1-2 minutes on each side, until just golden brown.
4. Using a spider or slotted spoon, remove from oil and place on a wire rack. Allow to cool completely.
5. Stick a wooden skewer into one side of each donut and create space inside by wiggling it around gently.
6. Fill a piping bag with your filling of choice and gently insert into the hole. Gently squeeze filling into each donut.
7. Dust with powdered sugar.

Notes

You will need a wooden skewer and a piping bag for this recipe.

from theNosher

NEW LIST OF

2026 JCC OF LBI EVENTS

TO PUT ON

YOUR REFRIGERATOR

CLICK HERE

PJP ZOOM PROGRAMS

Sunday, December 14 @ 1:00 PM

“Exploring the Lives of Jewish Children in Eastern Europe”

Discover the rich tapestry of Jewish childhood in the shtetl, exploring daily life, family traditions, and the community bonds that shaped the futures of young lives in Eastern Europe.

Evgenia Kempinski is a professional Jewish tour guide, born and raised in St. Petersburg, Russia. With over fifteen years of experience guiding Jewish heritage tours in her hometown, she has developed a deep passion for uncovering and sharing the stories of the Jewish Diaspora. With her family she spent six enriching years living in Israel and now resides in Barcelona, continuing her mission to connect people with Jewish history and culture around the world. She is the founder of the Online Jewish Travel Club, a vibrant community that brings together Jews from different countries through a shared love of travel,art, and Jewish heritage.

Join Zoom Program HERE

"Jewish Panama" with David Mizrachi Fidanque

CLICK HERE TO VIEW THE PROGRAM Passcode: z@=ge1p1

"Virtual Tour of the Weitzman National Museum of American Jewish History"

CLICK HERE TO VIEW THE PROGRAM Passcode: m1N^7!6y

DEADLINE FOR RESERVATIONS FOR DINNER

MONDAY DECEMBER 15

Wednesday, December 17th at 4:00 pm

Discussion Leader: TBA

Aliyah: A Jewish Family Saga

By Harold Emanuel



Unfolding Jewish Journey: From Warsaw to Manhattan, Hermanski Family Battles Adversity, Embraces America, Engages in History, Preserves Faith & Tradition.

Immerse yourself in the captivating narrative of Aliyah - A Jewish Family Saga, which chronicles the tumultuous journey of 16-year-old Lazar Hermanski and his

12-year-old brother, Mendel. The tale begins in the heart of the 1881 Warsaw Christmas Day pogrom, a turning point that propels the young protagonists and his soon-to-be wife, 14-year-old Daria Solov, to seek an uncertain future in Manhattan's Lower East Side. While the Hermanskis strive to blend into the fabric of American society, they grapple with maintaining their Jewish traditions. The struggle between preserving their heritage while acclimating to their new homeland forms the crux of the narrative. Aliyah - A Jewish Family Saga paints a vivid picture of an era filled with change and opportunity, making it an engaging read for those interested in historical novels that explore the complexities of immigration, cultural assimilation, and the resilience of the human spirit.

BOOKS TO GIFT YOUR CHILDREN AND GRANDCHILDREN

both available on Amazon

If you have a middle school child in your family, we would like to recommend that you share this new novel with them. It is entitled "Don't Feed the Lion" and was written by Bianna Golodryga and Yonit Levi. Just published, it is geared to middle school students and is a "much needed young reader’s novel dealing with antisemitism." according to the Jewish Journal.

This soccer book was written to honor the life and legacy of Alyssa Alhadeff, a young woman whose love for the game radiated through every step she took on the field. Authored by Lori Alhadeff, Alyssa's mother, and JCC member and Alyssa's grandmother, Terri Robinovitz, all proceeds are donated to MakeOurSchoolsSafe.



We are very excited to add to the WAX Gift Shop items from local merchants and artisans. Stop in to look and buy one (or more) of these beautiful pieces for your home, as a gift or just for yourself.

The gift shop is open during office hours M-F 10 - 2.

CALL PAUL LEVINE WITH ANY QUESTIONS

484-802-0586

SEE ORDER FORM BELOW

STU’s A-STU-TE SAYINGS HANUKKAH

Hanukkah begins Sunday Night-December 14 – We are sure everyone knows the story of Hanukkah but here are some Hanukkah Funakah stu-ff for you

·        Back in the day, Rabbi Hillel and Rabbi Shamai who were BFFs disagreed on how to light our candles [or oil wicks] – Rabbi Shamai said we light 8 on the 1^st night, then 7 on the 2^nd and so on – Rabbi Hillel felt it should be 1 on the1st night then progressively with an additional candle until the 8^th night. Rabbi Hillel thought that we should increase the light each night. [we follow Rabbi Hillel].

·        Why 8 days? It is said that when the Jews conquered the enemy to re-dedicate the Holy Temple [Hanukkah means dedication; the holiday, in part, celebrates the re-dedication of the Temple], they found a jar of oil that would keep the Menorah lit for just one day. Miraculously it remained lit for 8 days! [who doesn’t like miracles?] – Actually, it took 8 days to make the olives into the pure oil needed to light the Menorah.

·        The Menorahs that are in every Synagogue have 7 branches – What we use to light the candles or oil wicks on Hanukkah is actually called a “Hanukkia”.

·        Oil plays an integral part of our celebrating the Festival of Lights which explains one reason why we cook our delicacies, such as Latkes and Sufgayanote [donuts], in ‘shemen’ [oil]

·        As with everything Jewish, there are a myriad of reasons for why things happen and are done as with the Dreidel – First the 4 sides of the dreidel has the Hebrew letters of Nun, Gimel, Hey, Shin which stands for Nas HaGadol, Ha’yah, Sham or “A Great Miracle Happened There”, meaning “Israel”. whereas in Israel, the Dreidels have a Pey instead of a Shin which changes the phrase to: “A Great Miracle Happened Here”, meaning Israel.

·        One explanation of the advent of the Dreidel goes back to the days when Jews were forbidden to study their holy texts. To avoid the rule, they posed a sentry outside their houses of study and, when the soldiers approached, the warning went out and the Learners would hide their Talmuds and Tanakhs, and bring out their toy tops. When the soldiers approached the scene, they would mock the Jews. But when the evil marauders left, the clever Jews returned to their learning and studies.

·        Hanukkah falls in 2 Hebrew months: Kislev and Tevet – When the new month of Tevet [Rosh Chodesh] lands on Shabat Hanukkah: we then remove 3 Torahs from the Ark as we have a plethora of appropriate Torah readings – This occurrence happens so rarely that it’s literally just a few times in a century

Happy Hanukkah to all – May all your Dreidel spins land on Gimel – May you enjoy the sweet delicacies including gelt, & enjoy the gift of religious freedom!

Stu Lehrer

Ritual Chair

CONGREGATION NEWS

NEWS FROM OUR FEDERATION

GIVING OPPORTUNITIES

PAVERS

Inscribe a paver at the front entrance to the building

8" X 4", 8" X 8" and 12" X 12"

SEE UPDATED ORDER FORM:

PAVER FORM

Become a permanent part of the JCC landscape.

Purchase a personalized paving stone

in honor of your family or in memory of a loved one.

Please contact Diane Hoffman

with your order or with any questions:

dihoff1@aol.com

PRAYER BOOKS

There are still High Holiday Prayer Books and Chumashim available to be purchased in memory or honor of someone or something. The cost of a Prayer Book is $72 each and $120 for an Eitz Hayim Chumash. The donation includes an affirmation sticker in the book and an acknowledgement letter or letters.

See Order form here: Prayer Book

TRIBUTES

SEND ONE OF OUR TRIBUTES IN HONOR OR IN MEMORY OF

See order form here: TRIBUTES

TREE OF LIFE

Add a leaf (leaves) to our beautiful Tree of Life located in the Social Hall. See the order form here: TREE OF LIFE

Bronze Leaf $90

Silver Leaf $126

Gold :Leaf $180

ENDOWMENT FUND

Herb and Selma z”l Shapiro established the first individual Endowment Fund in memory of his father, as part of the JCC’s Endowment Fund portfolio.

Since then, three additional individual Endowment Funds have been established. Other members are encouraged to also provide for the future of our JCC by establishing similar funds. Please consider adding to this number.

A donation of at least $50,000 to the endowment fund will allow the donor to name one of the funds as the donor wishes. All such named funds will be joined together to be part of the Endowment Fund portfolio.

Endowment funds are necessary to ensure the continuation and well being of our congregation. All members are encouraged to help this important effort by contributing to this portfolio, whether as a specific named individual fund, or as a general donation. The donation can be spread over one, two, or three years, and can be paid via check, donation of appreciated stock, wills, or from the RMD of your IRA or 401K account. Your gift to the fund can be sent to the JCC Office. Please mark your check accordingly. 

YAHRZEIT PLAQUES

Space is available for memorial plaques on the yahrzeit boards in the Sanctuary. 

Here is the order form: 

YAHRZEIT

KOL HAKAVOD

Please consider being a part of this campaign to supplement the clergy needs of our congregation. This is a separate, voluntary commitment and is additional to our low annual dues obligation. HERE IS THE LINK TO BRING UP THE DONATION FORM KOL HAKAVOD

2025 MEMBERSHIP FORMS

Your support is so important to the continued success of the JCC.

Here is form for renewal:

RENEW NOW

And if you have been reading our Shabbat Reminder and other communications and have not yet joined our congregation, here is the new member form:

JOIN NOW

BE A PART OF THE WOMEN'S AUXILLARY

2025 DUES FORM HERE

JCC FUNDS

Scroll down to see the new Ner Tamid Fund

Your gift to the JCC supports our Clergy, our Congregation and the Community.

ENDOWMENT FUND

This fund was established to assure the continuity of our JCC, and our ability to continue providing a full-service congregation to serve the Jewish people of the area. While a donation of any amount is encouraged, a donation of at least $50,000 allows the donor to name a special or specific Endowment Fund in memory or honor of a specific person event, or family.

GENERAL FUND

Donations to this fund are not earmarked but placed in the general administrative account. Donations to this fund can be in honor or memory of a person, event, or family.

KOL HAKAVOD FUND

Donations to this campaign supplement the clergy needs of our congregation.



RABBI’S DISCRETIONARY FUND

This fund, managed by the rabbi, allows donors to enable the rabbi to do the work of tzedakah in response to the needs of individuals, organizations and the community.

ZENA & JERRY JAY KIDDISH FUND

The Zena and Jerry Jay Kiddush Fund was established in memory of Rabbi Jay's parents to help provide funds for our Saturday morning kiddushes.

NER TAMID FUND

The Ner Tamid Fund was established in 2025 as part of the JCC’s 75^th Anniversary Celebration. Its purpose is to fund necessary maintenance or improvement of our beautiful JCC building as well as the Parsonage. To ensure that the JCC remains an Eternal Light for the Jewish Community on and off the island and in Southern Ocean County generally, please consider making a separate donation to the Ner Tamid Fund, or allocating a small portion of your High Holiday donation to that fund.