Let There Be Lights: Hosting a Hanukkah Party

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Table of Contents
1. Hanukkah-Eight Miraculous Nights………………...…. 3
2. Hanukkah Traditions …………………………….……... 4
Lighting the Menorah
How to Play Dreidel
Ideas for New Traditions
3. Decorations and Favors ……………..……...…...……. 9
4. Menu………………………………………..…..…....…. 10
Emeril’s Favorites
Latkes
5. Kids …………………………………………..…………. 18
Hanukkah Gelt, Games, Quiz, Books and Songs
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Let There Be Lights!
Hosting a Hanukkah Party—a Gantzeh Megilleh or a
Mekheye?
Before getting into the delightful details, you should know this particular E-Guide was written by
a Yiddisher kop—someone who knows that, among all the Jewish holidays, Hanukkah is not the
most important. Though, like Purim, it’s probably the most fun to celebrate, especially for the
kids.
Because Hanukkah falls in December around Christmas, the holiday has evolved into a giftgiving event, even though giving gifts—other than some Hanukkah gelt for the children—is not a
traditional part of the holiday. After more than 5,000 years, we’ve all cultivated our own customs
to honor this holiday. Some may do little more than light the menorah, while others celebrate
with a festive party for family and friends. Whatever you do, it should be a mekheye!
To those who celebrate Hanukkah with a party and those who are looking for ways to make the
holiday more spirited, sociable and unique—this is for you!
Hanukkah—Eight Miraculous Nights
First, a bisel history. During the reign of
Alexander the Great, Jews in Syria, Egypt
and Palestine were able to observe their
own religion. More than a century later,
Antiochus IV controlled the region and
began to oppress the Jews severely—
massacring them, prohibiting the practice
of the Jewish religion and desecrating
temples.
Two groups opposed Antiochus: a
nationalistic group led by Mattathias the
Hasmonean and his son, Judah Maccabee and a religious traditionalist group known as the
Chasidim (no direct connection to the modern Chasidism movement.) The two groups joined
forces in a revolt; the revolution was successful and, according to Talmudic tradition, the holy
Temple in Jerusalem was rededicated. The word Hanukkah (or Hanukkah) means dedication or
consecration in Hebrew.
At the time of the rededication, there was precious little oil left that the oppressors had not
defiled. Oil was needed for the menorah (candelabrum,) which was supposed to burn
throughout the night every night. They had only enough oil to burn for one day. Miraculously,
the oil burned for eight days, which was the amount of time needed to create a fresh supply of
oil for the menorah. An eight-day celebration was held to commemorate, not the victory, but the
miracle of the oil.
Interesting Fact: There are 16 ways to spell Hanukkah in English: Hanukkah, Chanukah,
Hanukah, Hannukah, Chanuka, Chanukkah, Channukah, Chanukka, Hanukka, Hannuka,
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Hannukkah, Channuka, Xanuka, Hannukka, Channukka, and Chanuqa. There’s only one in
Hebrew:
Hanukkah Traditions
Most people are familiar with three universal Hanukkah traditions—lighting the menorah, eating
potato latkes and playing with a dreidel, so let’s start with those.
Lighting the Menorah
The Menorah is the candelabrum that holds nine
candles, eight representing one night the oil
continued to burn and one called the shammosh,
which is used to kindle the other candles while the
Hanukkah bruchah (prayer) is chanted. The
shammosh has its special holder in the Menorah,
and it should be above the other eight. There are a
number of do’s and don’ts regarding this ceremony.
Here’s a partial list:
1. Hanukkah begins on the 25th day of Kislev,
and the Menorah should be lit 50 minutes
after sundown (full night.) Electric Menorahs
are not acceptable.
2. Everyone in the household should be
present.
3. After lighting the shammosh and the
candle(s), keep the shammosh burning.
4. Never uses any Hanukkah candle to light anything else.
5. On the first night of Hanukkah, one candle is lit. The following night, two candles are lit,
the next night three, and so on.
6. Hanukkah candles are lit from left to right (though they are placed from right to left, just
to confuse things, so that the left-most candle is placed on the 8th night and is lit first on
that night.)
7. As they burn, the candles are not to be used for any other purpose (like lighting a
cigarette.)
8. The lights must burn for at least a half hour.
9. It is forbidden to move the Menorah during that half hour of burning.
10. After lighting, women do no work (including cooking) during that first half hour.
Source: BeingJewish.com
There are several precepts for lighting Hanukkah candles on the Sabbath. Click here for more
information, including appropriate prayers for the ceremony.
Potato Latkes
(See Menu)
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Dreidel
How to Play Dreidel (from MyJewishLearning.com)
Playing with the dreidel is a traditional Hanukkah game played in Jewish homes all over the
world, and rules may vary. Here's how to play the basic dreidel game:
1. Any number of people can take part in the game.
2. Each player begins the game with an equal number of game pieces (about 10-15) such as
pennies, nuts, chocolate chips, raisins, matchsticks, etc.
3. At the beginning of each round, every participant puts one game piece into the center "pot."
In addition, every time the pot is empty or has only one game piece left, every player should put
one in the pot.
4. Every time it's your turn, spin the dreidel once. Depending on the outcome, you give or get
game pieces from the pot:
a) Nun means "nisht"or "nothing" [in Yiddish.] The player does nothing.
b) Gimmel means "gantz"or "everything" [in Yiddish.]. The player gets everything in the pot.
c) Hey means "halb"or "half" [in Yiddish.] The player gets half of the pot. (If there are an odd
number of pieces in the pot, the player takes half of the total plus one.)
d) Shin (outside of Israel) means "shtel" or "put in" [in Yiddish.] Peh (in Israel) means "pay."
The player adds a game piece to the pot.
The four sides of the dreidel, from right:
nun, gimmel, hey, and shin
5. If you find that you have no game pieces left, you are either "out" or may ask a fellow player
for a "loan."
6. When one person has won everything, that round of the game is over!
7. We suggest that if you use money to play the game, ask players to donate part or all of their
winnings to tzedakah (charity.) You can ask parents to match these contributions. This way
everyone wins and you can share the Hanukkah gifts with those in need!
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Ideas for New Traditions
Handmade Hanukkah Kippot
What can make your Hanukkah party more
unique than having designer yarmulkes for the
candle lighting—with your own personally
selected fabric? Cathy Perlmutter of
Judaiquilt.com has an 80-page, illustrated book of kippah sewing
patterns and directions. Take a look at some of these cool kippot!
Chanukah Socks
With your guests’ heads covered in sensational Hanukkah style, it’s time
to make their feet fashionable,
too! Get those tooties in the holiday spirit with these socks from Emily
Klein at Sockgrams.com:
Our friend Phyllis Cambria, author of ―The Complete Idiot’s Guide to Throwing a Great Party‖,
offered these terrific suggestions:
Dedicate each night’s light to a family member or friend. In addition to saying the
traditional prayers, ask each guest present to share with that person why they are so
special to them.
Each night, celebrate a different life-affirming principle: knowledge, charity, family,
freedom, friendship, peace, equality and religion. Buy a book, help a friend, read a
prayer—instill in your children and rededicate yourself to the importance of appreciating
the true gifts of life.
Invite non-Jewish friends to join you and your family, share in the festivities and learn
more about the customs of your religion.
Have each guest write a letter to someone who is serving overseas in the military to
thank him or her for service to our country. Contact
your local chapter of the American Red Cross for
information on writing to a serviceman or woman.
Daniel Rothner of Areyvut.org also believes that helping
others is essential for a successful party and helps make the
holiday more meaningful. Here are some of his suggestions:
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Send Hanukkah care packages to Israeli soldiers
Adopt a pet from an animal shelter
Before Hanukkah begins, hold a seminar on fire safety
Make and decorate menorahs and distribute them to people who cannot afford them
Buy a present and donate it to a child in a local shelter
Hold a toy drive at your local school or synagogue to collect Hanukkah gifts for children
who would otherwise not have any
Donate some of your Hanukkah gelt to a needy organization
Perform Hanukkah songs with friends at a local nursing home
Brighten up someone’s life by sending an anonymous care package to someone who
could use cheering up
At the home of Alexander Seinfeld of Jewish Spiritual
Literacy, Inc., each child has his or her own menorah
to light, placed in different locations. One child will
have it on the mantle, another in the front window,
another in the dining room, etc.
This idea comes from Bradi Nathan of
MyWorkButterfly.com:
―Each night I hide one present around the house for
my kids to find to add some excitement to the eight traditional days of gift giving. And when our
family comes over for our Chanukkah party, we play Secret Shlomo instead of Secret Santa.
Each person is given ONE name ahead of time (recession-proof game) revealing who they are
to buy a gift for. Once all of the presents are handed out the day of we must guess who the
Shlomo is.‖
Karyn Scholak of Alias Denim.com gives us a spin on the same idea for families who celebrate
both Hanukkah and Christmas:
―As my husband and I celebrate both Chanukah and Christmas, every year we host a Chanukah
party with a "Chanukah Harry" gift exchange under our Christmas tree!
The rules are as follows; each guest is assigned another guests name prior to the party and has
to purchase a gift of no more than $10 for that individual (the $10 forces everyone to be really
creative!) Each package has to be packaged in brown wrap and is put under the Christmas tree
when they arrive. After we enjoy great food and wine, the gift opening starts one by one, and as
each person opens, they guess until they figure out who was their "Chanukah Harry." Once
guessed, that person is the next to open a gift.
It has become a great tradition, and our guests get more and more creative each year with their
gifts and with the wrapping and the way they disguise the recipient’s name on the box. Each
year, everyone looks forward to it.‖
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Decorations and Favors
By their very nature, Hanukkah parties should be festive and casual—
family and friends getting together to celebrate the miracle, eat some
batampte food and have fun with the kids. Stores like Party City and
online party supply stores carry Hanukkah-themed plates, cups,
napkins, dreidel garlands, hanging decorations shaped like dreidels,
menorahs and the Star of David, ―Happy Hanukkah‖ banners,
centerpieces (like the one pictured on the left, and lots more.
Favors
Everyone expects the children to receive favors, most often large plastic dreidels filled with
candy and chocolate coins (Hanukkah gelt.) Over the years, Sharon Gellar-Metal of
GothamJudaica.com developed an interesting Hanukkah gelt distribution system:
For the past twenty years or so, my aunt and uncle have thrown a Chanukah party for the whole
family. Since it was a small family, it started out a rather small gathering – but now the kids
have grown up and have spouses and kids and even grandchildren of their own. The shopping
for presents became difficult so I instituted a Chanukah Gelt policy for
each of my first cousins’ children: from birth to bar/bat mitzvah, each
child gets $10. From bar/bat mitzvah age until age 18, they get $20.
After that, they’ve aged out. I wrap the bills differently every year –
once in CD cases with their names on the labels, once around a
lollypop stick, once attached to a bag of chocolate coins
If you want to step it up a bit, consider a Hanukkah-themed candy bar
in personalized wrapper. Both kids and adults will appreciate the
extra effort.
And now, for the unexpected. Treat the adult guests to a favor that’s both meaningful and
useful. As always, you can find something appropriate online or at a synagogue gift shop. One
of our favorites is the Star of David Silver-Metal Bookmark with an elegant, blue tassel (left,)
which celebrates our heritage and love of learning.
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Menu
Many Jewish holiday celebrations can be summed up in
three short sentences: They tried to kill us! We won! Let’s
Eat! And eat, we do! Some of the most mouthwatering
comfort food on the planet got its start in the kitchens of
my Yiddishe mama and yours!
A Hanukkah party menu can be anything you want it to be—and potato latkes. Jelly doughnuts
are also part of a traditional Hanukkah spread. Some hosts make latkes the main course and
serve them with a chopped salad, appetizers like hummus or finger sandwiches with tuna salad
and chicken salad. Others use the latkes as a side dish and make an entrée like salmon or
brisket. Before we get to the latke recipes, let’s talk about brisket. Here’s a can’t -miss brisket
recipe from, believe it or not, Emeril Lagasse. It’s called Emeril’s Passover Brisket, but this
magnificent meat dish is perfect for any holiday. The rave reviews begin right after guests take
their first bite!
Emeril’s Passover Brisket
Ingredients
8 to 10 pound brisket
Garlic cloves
1 quart beef stock (unsalted or low salt)
3 large onions, sliced
3 Tbs. vegetable oil
2 Tsp. salt
2 Tsp. Emeril’s Original Essence (recipe follows)
1 Tsp. freshly ground black pepper, to taste
1 Tsp. onion powder
1Tsp. garlic powder
1 Cup chili sauce
1 Cup ketchup
1 Cup brown sugar
Directions
Preheat oven to 500 degrees F.
Using a paring knife and your finger, stuff
brisket all over with garlic. Place brisket in a
baking dish or casserole and bake until browned
on top, remove from oven, turn brisket and return to oven until browned on both sides. Reduce
oven temperature to 350 degrees F. Add enough beef stock to casserole to come up 1 inch on
sides, cover with foil and bake one hour.
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While brisket is cooking, heat a large skillet over medium high heat and sauté onions in
vegetable oil, stirring occasionally, until caramelized and most liquid has evaporated, about 20
minutes. Set aside.
Remove brisket from oven after one hour and add caramelized onions and all remaining
ingredients, moving meat around to combine ingredients. Cover and continue to bake until very
tender but not falling apart, another 2 to 3 hours. Remove brisket to a carving board and slice.
Strain reserved cooking liquids and pour over sliced brisket. Brisket may be returned to
casserole dish and allowed to cool, then served the next day. (Reheated in oven.)
Brisket is better if made a day in advance.
Essence (Emeril's Creole Seasoning)
2 ½ Tbs. paprika
2 Tbs. salt
2 Tbs. garlic powder
1 Tbs. black pepper
1 Tbs. onion powder
1 Tbs. cayenne pepper
1 Tbs. dried leaf oregano
1 Tbs. dried thyme
Combine all ingredients thoroughly and store in an
airtight jar or container.
Yield: about 2/3 cup
After you taste Emeril’s brisket, you might want to try his
potato latkes, too. Here’s the recipe:
Emeril Lagasse’s Potato Pancakes
Ingredients
1 Large russet baking potato (about 8 oz.)
½ Medium onion (about 4 oz.)
1 Egg
1 Tbs. chopped parsley
1 Tbs. flour
1 Tbs. dry bread crumbs
¼ Tsp. dry thyme
Juice of one lemon
Salt and pepper
Oil for pan-frying
1/3 Cup applesauce for garnish
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Directions
1. Using the grating disc in a food processor or a box grater, grate the potato and onion (on
the large hole) into a bowl.
2. Using your hands, squeeze out the excess liquid and place the dry potato/ onion mixture
in a bowl.
3. Add the egg, parsley, flour, bread crumbs, thyme, lemon juice and seasonings. Mix well.
4. Heat 1/2 cup of oil in a heavy skillet.
5. Add 1/2-cup mounds of potato mixture to the hot oil, and flatten down to a 3/4-inch thick
pancake. Turn heat to medium. Cook for 5 minutes on each side, or until crispy and
golden. Serve with the applesauce.
(Eds. Note: There’s no mention of how many latkes Emeril’s recipe makes, so you’ll have to
use your best judgment to double or triple it, depending on the number of guests. Also, sour
cream is a yummy garnish for latkes, too!)
This next latke recipe from CelebrateWithStyle.com is a basic recipe, made with all the essential
latke ingredients—and love.
Grandma Esther's Potato Latkes
Makes approximately 4 dozen pancakes
Ingredients
5 lbs. of well-scrubbed russet potatoes, unpeeled
2 eggs, beaten
2 medium onions
Salt
Pepper
½ cup matzoh meal (you can substitute flour)
Oil for frying
1. Heat oven to 250 degrees, to keep latkes
warm during cooking process.
2. Grate the potatoes. [Note: Esther likes to
do it the old-fashioned way, using the fine
side of a hand grater. But to save time
and work, use the grating disc of a food
processor; or, for even more texture, the
shredding disk.)
3. To help keep grated potatoes from turning gray, minimize their exposure to air. Place
them in a colander lined with a clean dish towel, and fold the towel over the potatoes. Or
place the grated potatoes in a large bowl and cover them with water. When all the
potatoes are grated, drain them very well, pressing them firmly into a colander while
blotting with a dish towel or paper towels.
4. Grate the onions by hand, or by using the grating disk of the food processor.
5. Put the drained, grated potatoes and the onions in a large mixing bowl; add the eggs,
plus salt and pepper to taste; mix well.
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6. Add the matzoh meal to the potato and onion mixture and mix with a large spoon. Add
more matzoh meal if the consistency of the mixture seems loose, which will cause the
latkes to fall apart. Use the spoon to remove any water that collects in the bowl.
7. Heat the oil in a large frying pan. Then test. When a teaspoon of the mixture turns brown
within one minute, the oil is ready for frying.
8. For each latke, put one to two tablespoons of the mixture into the frying pan. Brown well
on both sides. Drain latkes on paper towels.
9. Place cooked, drained latkes on a cookie sheet and keep warm in the oven until all are
prepared. Serve with applesauce and sour cream.
For those of you who prefer to stay away from fried foods, this recipe comes from Caryn.com:
Un-fried Potato Latkes
Ingredients
4 Russet potatoes, peeled
1 Med. red onion, finely chopped
1 Tsp. salt
1/2 Tsp. black pepper
1 bunch of chives, snipped
1 Egg plus 1 egg white, lightly beaten
1/4 c. flour
3 Tsp. canola oil
Directions
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Brush two baking sheets
with 1 tsp. oil each.
2. Loosely grate potatoes and onion in food processor and place in large mixing bowl.
Season to taste with salt and pepper. Add flour and onion and mix well. Mix in eggs and
1 tsp. oil.
3. Spoon out the batter onto baking sheets and flatten slightly. With oven racks in lower
and middle positions, bake until brown on the bottom (about 10 minutes). Turn and bake
another 5 or until brown.
4. Garnish liberally with chives and serve with sour cream or non-fat yogurt. (Soy versions
of these milk-based products will work also.)
And if you who want to go beyond the realm of the traditional potato latke…
Sweet-Potato Latkes
Ingredients
2 Sweet potatoes, peeled and shredded
2 Eggs, lightly beaten
1 Tbs. brown sugar
2 Tbs. all-purpose flour
2 Tsp. ground cloves
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2 Tsp. ground cinnamon
¼ Cup vegetable oil for frying
Directions
1. Place sweet potatoes in a colander. Place a
cheesecloth over the potatoes, and
squeeze the potatoes to release as much
liquid as possible. Let the potatoes sit to
release more liquid, then squeeze again.
2. In a large bowl, combine sweet potatoes,
eggs, brown sugar, flour, cloves and
cinnamon; mix well.
3. Heat oil in large heavy skillet to 375
degrees F (190 degrees C.)
4. Form mixture into pancake-size cakes and fry in hot oil. Flip cakes after 2 to 3 minutes
(when bottom is browned) and brown other side. Drain on paper towels, and serve
piping hot!
Low-Carb Sweet Potato Latkes
If you’re a diabetic or simply counting carbohydrates, switching to Sweet Potato Latkes is a
good idea.
Sweet potatoes are low in the Glycemic Index (GI). High GI foods raise blood sugar quickly,
making the individual crash and feel hungry. Low GI foods cause a gradual rise in blood sugar
and make one feel satiated longer. White potatoes rank high in the GI index while, among root
vegetables, sweet potatoes offer the lowest GI rating. Here’s a simple recipe from Fred Levine
of DetroitHeadShots.com:
Ingredients
3 Grated Sweet Potatoes
1 Sliced Zucchini (size equivalent of one sweet potato)
3 Tbs. Matzoh meal
3-4 Eggs (since sweet potatoes are much dryer than white potatoes, more egg is needed to
hold the latke together)
Pepper to taste
1 Tbs. Horseradish (the secret ingredient!)
Makes 4-6 latkes
Directions
1. Grate the potatoes and zucchini in a food processor using the ―grater‖ blade pr with an
old hand grater.
2. Mix the grated sweet potatoes and zucchini in a large bowl with all the other ingredients.
3. Put about 3/8‖ of oil that doesn’t add flavor, like canola, safflower or sunflower oil.
4. After the oil reaches temperature, drop enough mix into the oil and flatten a bit to make a
latke about 3‖ in diameter. Brown on one side, flip and brown on the other. Drain on
paper towels.
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Sesame-Potato Latkes
Ingredients
2 Large, unpeeled potatoes, boiled
1 Clove garlic, peeled and minced
Oil
1 Tsp. minced chives
2 Tbs. bread crumbs
Salt and pepper
Sesame seeds
Caramelized Applesauce
Directions
1. Peel potatoes and mash until smooth. Add garlic, 1 tablespoon oil, chives and bread
crumbs.
2. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Mix well. Shape into thin latkes, using about 2
tablespoons batter per latke. Pour about 1/3 cup sesame seeds onto flat plate and
press both sides of latkes into seeds to coat.
3. In large, heavy skillet, heat 1/4 inch oil to 375 degrees.
4. Carefully plate latkes in hot oil and fry on both sides until golden brown, about 2 to 3
minutes per side.
5. Drain on paper towels. Serve immediately with Caramelized Applesauce. Yields 2 to
3 dozen latkes.
For caramelized applesauce:
1. Peel, core and cut three apples (Granny Smith, Golden Delicious, Fuji or Royal Gala
are good)
each into five wedges.
2. Melt 5 ½ Tbs. of butter in a pan with 7 Tbs. of superfine sugar.
3. Add 3 whole star anise and a small piece of cinnamon stick.
4. Add apples and stir well. Cook over medium heat, stirring occasionally until the apples
are
caramelized.
5. Add the juice of half a lemon and 2 tbsp. of rum.
6. Mix well and serve either hot or cold with the Apple and honey cake, pancakes or
raisin toast.
Makes enough for 6-8 servings.
On the lighter side, latkes (along with other Jewish dishes) have been humorously called
―Jewish Weapons of Mass Destruction.‖ An anonymous writer tells why:
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LATKES
A pancake-like structure not to be confused with anything a
first- class health restaurant would put out. In a latke, the oil
remains inside the pancake. It is made with potatoes,
onions, eggs and matzo meal. Latkes can be eaten with
applesauce but COULD also be used to comb your hair,
shine your shoes or lubricate your automobile . There is a
rumor that in the time of the Maccabees, they lit a latke by
mistake and it burned for eight months. What is certain is
that you will have heartburn for the same amount of time. It
tastes GOOD, but will stop your heart if the grease gets
cold.
And now, the jelly doughnuts or sufganiot, as they’re called in Hebrew. Some believe Jews eat
jelly doughnuts on Hanukkah because the oil in which the doughnuts are fried is connected to
the miracle commemorated on Hanukkah, while others believe jelly doughnuts are eaten on the
holiday because the sweetness of the jelly inside is related to the celebration. Either way, we
get to eat jelly doughnuts on Hanukkah! RecipeZaar.com features this recipe:
Sufganiot (Hanukkah Jelly Doughnuts)
This recipe yields 42 doughnuts:
Ingredients
1 ¼ Cups slightly warm water or slightly warm milk
1 Tbs. yeast
6 Tbs. sugar
1 Tsp. salt
¼ Cup canola oil
2 Egg yolks
1 Egg
1 Tsp. vanilla
¼ Tsp. lemon extract
3 ½ -4 Cups unbleached, all-purpose flour (or half all-purpose
and half bread flour)
Fine sugar for coating doughnuts
1 ½ Cups raspberry jelly or raspberry jam or apricot jelly or
apricot jam
Oil
Shortening (three parts oil and one part melted shortening for frying, enough to fill up two-thirds
of a fryer)
Directions
1. Whisk together the yeast, water and sugar, salt, oil, egg yolks, egg, vanilla and lemon
extract.
2. Blend well and stir in most of the flour to form a soft dough.
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3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
Knead by hand, machine or in bread machine (dough setting), adding flour as needed.
The dough should have some body (not too slack,) supple, smooth and elastic.
Place in a greased plastic bag and refrigerate at least 2 to 4 hours or overnight.
If you are in a hurry, allow dough to rest at least 20 minutes, then proceed.
If dough has risen at all, punch or flatten down, then pinch off pieces and form into small
balls, about the size of golf balls.
8. Otherwise, roll dough out to about three-quarters of an inch.
9. Using a two and half inch or three inch biscuit cutter, cut out rounds.
10. Cover and let sit 15 minutes while heating oil.
11. In a deep fryer, or heavy Dutch oven, heat about four inches of oil or a combination of oil
and melted shortening.
12. Test oil temperature: It's a good idea to try frying one doughnut to start with.
13. Once the doughnut seems done, take it out and cut it open to see if the inside is cooked.
14. Add the doughnuts to the hot oil (temperature should be about 375 F.) and fry until the
undersides are deep brown.
15. Turn over once and finish frying the other side.
16. Lift doughnuts out using a slotted spoon and drain well on paper towels.
17. To fill, make a small opening and spoon in jam or jelly, or just sprinkle lightly with regular
or extra- fine granulated sugar by shaking doughnuts in a paper bag.
“Food is an important part of a balanced diet.” ~ Fran Liebowitz
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Kids
While it’s sometimes more about the gifts than it is the commemoration of a
miraculous event in Jewish history, Hanukkah is a happy time for children. They
look forward to lighting the candles and opening their gifts, which may be a toy, a
game, an MP3 player or the cool tech gadget of the moment, clothes, a gift
certificate or traditional Hanukkah gelt.
Hanukkah Gelt
Gelt is a Yiddish term for ―money,‖ and the custom of gelt-giving is believed to go back to the
Hasmonean period, just after the Temple was recaptured. Syria’s King Antiochus VII decreed to
Simon the Maccabee, ―I turn over to you the right to make your own stamp for coinage for your
own country.‖ (I Maccabees 15:6) With their newly won independence, Jews began minting and
issuing the first Jewish coins in history. One of the coins depicted the seven-branched Menorah
on one side and the Table of Shew Bread on the other, both symbols of the restored Temple.
Savings bonds, checks, cash and small chocolate coins wrapped in gold foil are the modern
forms of Hanukkah gelt. Love those chocolate coins!
Hanukkah Quiz
Here’s a terrific way to hand out extra gifts to the kids and strengthen the meaning of the
holiday! Ask all the children the questions in this Hanukkah Quiz from Chabad.org, and
whoever shouts out the correct answer first wins a prize. Depending on the ages of the children,
the prizes can be small packs of crayons, coloring books, modeling clay, glow-sticks or
necklaces, novelty pens or pencils, and other stuff like that.
Games
You can print out these Hanukkah-themed coloring pages and
games beforehand and set them on a special kids’ table
already equipped with crayons, pencils and chalk:
What’s Different from Kaboose.com
A variety of games and coloring
pages from TheKidzpage.com If it’s
not the Sabbath, you might want to
have a laptop on the kids’ table for
some of the puzzle games on this
site! Your kids will find plenty of fun
games here to last for all eight nights!
Books
There are several wonderful books about Hanukkah, any of which
would make a meaningful Hanukkah gift. a super game prize or a relevant book to read to the
kids at the party. Here are just a few:
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Chanukah Bugs: A Pop-Up Celebration by David A. Carter
Chanukah Lights Everywhere by Michael J. Rosen
How to Spell Chanukah and Other Holiday Dilemmas by Emily Franklin
Eight Tales for Eight Nights: Stories of Chanukah by Jane Breskin Zalben
The Chanukah Blessing by Peninnah Schram
The Runaway Latkes by Leslie Kimmelman
Lights: The Miracle of Chanukah by Paul Michael Glaser
A Hanukkah Treasury by Eric A. Kimmel
Hanukkah Songs
A Hanukkah celebration wouldn’t be complete without music. Click on the links to hear the tune:
Hanukkah, O Hanukkah
Hanukkah, O Hanukkah, come light the Menorah.
Let's have a party—we’ll all dance the hora.
Gather round the table, we'll give you a treat.
Dreidels to play with, latkes to eat.
And while we are playing,
The candles are burning low:
One for each night,
They shed a sweet light
To remind us of days long ago.
One for each night,
They shed a sweet light
To remind us of days long ago.
Svivon
Svivon sov sov sov
Hanukah hu hag tov
Hanukah hu hag tov
Svivon sov sov sov
Hag sim ha hu la'am
Nes gadol hayah sham
Nes gadol hayah sham
Hag sim ha hu la'am
English Translation:
Dreidel, spin, spin, spin
Hanukkah it is a good holiday
Hanukkah it is a good holiday
Dreidel, spin, spin, spin
A happy holiday for our people
A great miracle happened there
A great miracle happened there
A happy holiday for our people
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I Have a Little Dreidel
I have a little dreidel.
I made it out of clay,
And when it's dry and ready
Then dreidel I shall play!
Oh dreidel, dreidel, dreidel!
I made it out of clay,
And when it's dry and ready,
Then dreidel I shall play!
It has a lovely body,
With legs so short and thin,
And when my dreidel's tired
It drops and then I win!
(Chorus)
My dreidel's always playful!
It loves to dance and spin!
A happy game of dreidel
Come play now, let's begin!
(Chorus)
The Latke Song
I am so mixed up that I cannot tell you,
I'm sitting in this blender turning brown.
I've made friends with the onions and the flour,
And the cook is scouting oil in the town.
I sit here wondering what will come of me,
I can't be eaten looking as I do.
I need someone to take me out and cook me,
Or I'll really end up in a royal stew.
CHORUS:
I’m a latke, I'm a latke,
And I am waiting for Hanukkah to come.
I’m a latke, I'm a latke.
And I am waiting for Hanukkah to come.
Every holiday has foods so special,
I'd like to have that same attention too,
I do not want to spend life in this blender,
Wondering what I'm supposed to do.
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Matza and choroset are for Pesach,
Chopped liver and challah for Shabbat
Blintzes on Shavuot are delicious,
And gefilte fish no holiday's without.
CHORUS
It's important that I have an understanding
Of what it is that I'm supposed to do,
You see, there are many who are homeless,
With no jobs, no clothes and very little food.
It's so important that we all remember,
That while we have most of the things we need,
We must remember those who have so little,
We must help them, we must be the ones to feed.
CHORUS
Maoz Tzur
Transliteration
Ma'oz tsur yeshu'ati
lecha na'eh leshabeakh.
Tikon beit tefilati
vesham todah nezaveakh.
Le'et tachin matbeakh
mitsar hamnabeakh,
'az 'egmor beshir mizmor
khanukat hamizbeakh.
Popular English Translation (Rock of Ages)
Rock of ages, let our song
Praise Your saving power;
You, amid the raging foes,
Were our sheltering tower.
Furious they assailed us,
But Your arm availed us,
And Your word,
Broke their sword,
When our own strength failed us.
Literal Translation
O mighty stronghold of my salvation,
To praise You is a delight.
Restore my House of Prayer and there
We will bring a thanksgiving offering.
When You will have prepared the
Slaughter for the blaspheming foe,
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Then I shall complete with a song of hymn
The dedication of the Altar.
Light Up the World
We found this song on YouTube, but we couldn’t find printed
lyrics for it. The music rocks and the lyrics are cool. This song
will make everyone at the party get up and dance!
Adam Sandler’s The Hanukkah Song
Possibly the most famous Hanukkah song around, next to I
Have a Little Dreidel.
"Okay...
This is a song that uhh..
There's a lot of Christmas songs out there and uhh..
Not too many Hanukkah songs.
So uhh..
I wrote a song for all those nice little Jewish kids who don't get to
hear any Hanukkah songs.
Here we go..."
Put on your yarmulke
Here comes Hanukkah
So much funukah
To celebrate Hanukkah
Hanukkah is the festival of lights
Instead of one day of presents, we have eight crazy nights
When you feel like the only kid in town without a Christmas tree
Here's a list of people who are Jewish just like you and me
David Lee Roth lights the menorah
So do James Caan, Kirk Douglas, and the late Dinah
Shore-ah
Guess who eats together at the Carnegie Deli
Bowser from Sha Na Na and Arthur Fonzerelli
Paul Newman's half Jewish, Goldie Hawn's half too
Put them together, what a fine lookin' Jew
You don't need "Deck The Halls" or "Jingle Bell Rock"
'Cause you can spin a dreidel with Captain Kirk and
Mr. Spock- both Jewish
Put on your yarmulke
It's time for Hanukkah
The owner of the Seattle Supersonicahs
Celebrates Hanukkah
O.J. Simpson, not a Jew
But guess who is? Hall of famer Rod Carew- he converted
We got Ann Landers and her sister Dear Abby
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Harrison Ford's a quarter Jewish- not too shabby
Some people think that Ebenezer Scrooge is
Well he's not, but guess who is
All three Stooges
So many Jews are in showbiz
Tom Cruise isn't, but I heard his agent is
Tell your friend Veronica
It's time to celebrate Hanukkah
I hope I get a harmonicah
Oh this lovely, lovely Hanukkah
So drink your gin and tonicah
And smoke your marijuanikah
If you really, really wannakah
Have a happy, happy, happy, happy Hanukkah
Happy Hanukkah!
“Christmas brings enormous electric bills. Candles are used for Hanukkah. Not only are we
spared enormous electric bills, but we get to feel good about not contributing to the energy
crisis.”
~KOACH Humor
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