Did you know there is no mention of Chanukah in the bible? There are a few different sources of the Chanukah story, the most famous of which are in Maccabees I and II. The story is set in Judea, a region of ancient Israel, under the Greek ruler Antiochus Epiphanes. Antiochus greatly restricted the Jewish people, preventing their religious practice, defiling the Temple in Jerusalem, and forcing them to worship other gods. Some Jews felt they must adhere to these new regulations, out of fear, while others chose to fight for their rights and rebel. In Modin, Matathias, father of 5 sons, the most famous of whom was Judah (the Maccabee), stood up. He refused to compromise his dietary restrictions or bow to foreign gods. He organized a small army, the Hasmoneans, to revolt against Antiochus' great army, and miraculously they succeeded! What an important lesson for us all, showing the power the few and determined can have against the many, even in times of despair. After the victory, the holy Temple had to be cleaned and rededicated to Adonai. Legend has it that only one small cruse of pure oil remained to light the Temple lamps, which should have only lasted a day, but miraculously the oil burned for eight! Perhaps the real miracle is, after thousands of years, that those candles are still burning brightly today.
Rabbi Adelson's Family Latke Recipe
Rabbi Adelson’s Family’s Potato Latkes
2 eggs 4 C. grated potatoes, drained (see below) 4 T. grated onion 4 T. matzoh meal 1 tsp. salt ¼ tsp. pepper ½ C. vegetable oil
The official recipe: Beat eggs. Add potatoes, onion, salt, pepper, and matzah meal. Heat half the oil in a frying pan and when pan is hot, drop potato mixture into pan by large tablespoonsful. Turn heat down slightly. When upper side of latke changes from pink to gray, bottom side is done. Turn and fry until browned on both sides. Add more oil as required.
Rabbi’s Comments: Thoroughly squeezing water out of the grated potatoes is critical! Grate potatoes, including the skins, in the medium holes of a grater. Grate into one bowl. Then squeeze out the water very well, between your hands over a second bowl, and put the squeezed out potatoes into a third bowl. When you have squeezed out all the water, slowly pour out the collected water from the second bowl, and then scrape all the potato starch that has settled on the bottom of the bowl, and add it back into the potatoes. The re-addition of the potato starch is the secret of my family’s tradition of making latkes. Beyond that, you need to keep your oil hot enough to really sizzle, but turn the heat down a bit after the latkes are in for a minute so they get cooked in the middle. Be patient enough to get them really crispy. Add oil between batches, and let it get hot before starting the next batch.
How to Play Dreidel
Dreidel is a traditional game played by children during the eight day Hanukkah celebration. The dreidel is a 4-sided top of ancient origin. The Hebrew letters on the side are nun, gimmel, hey, and shin. They form an acronym in Hebrew, “nes gadol haya sham” which means "A great miracle happened there." In Israel, the letters on the dreidel are nun, gimmel, hey, and pey. They form an acronym in Hebrew, “nes gadol haya po” which means "A great miracle happened here."
This game is best played in groups of 4-6. Each player gets an equal number of pennies, nuts, M&Ms, stones or whatever you wish to use. Each player takes turns spinning the dreidel. If it lands on:
Nun -- the player receives nothing, next player spins.
Gimel -- the player takes all of the pot.
Hey -- the player takes half of the pot.
Shin -- the player puts a playing piece into the pot
Each time the pot is emptied out, each player puts in a playing piece and the game continues.
Chanukah Discussion Questions
Family Thought Questions
The lights of the Chanukah menorah are sacred, and traditionally we don’t use them for anything else aside from celebrating the miracle. It is a tradition to spend the hour after lighting the Chanukah candles with family and friends. You can use these thought questions for holiday discussion each night of the holiday!
First Night
On the first night only, we add the shecheyanu blessing: “Blessed are You who has kept us in life, sustained us, and enabled us to reach this season.”
Why do you think we add this blessing the first night of Chanukah?
What are you thankful for as you reach this season?
Second Night
“The light of the menorah is not for working by, but is a holy light to guide our souls.”
As you sit in the light of your menorah, what does this mean to you? How can the light of the menorah “guide our souls?”
Third Night
The oil that was supposed to have lasted for one day lasted for eight. Have you ever experienced a time when you thought you didn’t have enough (time, energy, strength, resources, etc.) but still were able to succeed?
Fourth Night
Chanukah celebrates the rededication of the Temple. In modern times, Chanukah is a holiday celebrated primarily in the home. The rededication ceremony was called chanukat habayit – literally, “rededicating the house.”
This Chanukah, how can you rededicate your home to match the values and relationships that are sacred to you?
Fifth Night
Chanukah is not in the Torah.It is a commemoration of an historic event. Judaism is a living and changing tradition. As a family, what tradition could you add to your celebration of Chanukah that will make it even more meaningful for you?
Sixth Night
It took a lot of work to clean up the Temple. There is still much to clean up in our world. As we celebrate our miracle, how can we help create miracles for others? What kind of social action can we include in our holiday celebration?
Seventh Night
It has become common for American Jews to give one another gifts on Chanukah. Why do you think we do this? What kinds of gifts could we give one another without giving material objects?
Eighth Night
The Chanukah lights are meant only for enjoyment and celebration, not to be used for any practical task. “We try not to look at them and say: ‘What other use can these lights be to me?’” (The Book of Jewish Sacred Practices).
How can this tradition teach us to appreciate things for just what they are?
8 Chanukah Ideas
As we celebrate the holiday of Chanukah, here are eight ideas to add new light to your festivities.
Virtual Menorah Are you not going to make it home in time to light the candles? Going away and don’t have a chanukiyah (Chanukah menorah) to take with you? Not to worry, you can sing along with the blessings while you light a virtual chanukiyah. (Courtesy of URJ)
Read about It There are countless stories and books written about Chanukah for all ages. Come to the Sara A. Spencer Educational Center (EET, 3rd floor) or the Helene Spring Library and pick up a good read. Titles include Hershel and the Hanukkah Goblins by Eric Kimmel, Lots of Latkes by Sandy Lanton, Jewish Literacy by Joseph Telushkin, and The Jewish Book of Why by Alfred Kolatch.
Social Justice Gift Guide Chanukah is a time to give gifts, but it is often difficult to find something special. Thanks to the Religious Action Center (RAC) here are nine great gift ideas that will help to heal the world.
Online Activities Computer games can be educational and fun. Visit Babaganewz to play Chanukah Jewpardy, make craft projects, and find creative ideas for home celebrations.
Eight Days of Values Chanukah celebrates the victory of the Maccabees, the power of perseverance and dedication. There are many other important values, such as tikkun olam (repairing the world), leadership, personal growth, and more that we embrace in our daily lives. Read what Reform Jewish teens have to say about these concepts and how they relate to Chanukah.
Creative Latkes What would Chanukah be without delicious latkes? The oil in which they are cooked reminds us of the miracle of the oil that lasted for eight days. Traditionally made from potatoes, these fried delights can be made from almost anything – carrots, zucchini, yams. What creative recipes can you create?
What is Chanukah Really About? by Sara L. Blumstein
Latkes, dreidels, candles, and gelt: is this what the festival of Chanukah is really about? There are many reasons for these traditions. Not one universally accepted text explains the origins of our eight-day Festival of Lights, known as Chanukah. Each has its own merit. Thus it is entirely possible that questions about the festival may have more than one correct answer... (more)
As we light the chanukiah (menorah) each night, there are blessings we recite.
Did you know there is no mention of Chanukah in the bible? 
Rabbi Adelson’s Family’s Potato Latkes
Latkes, dreidels, candles, and gelt: is this what the festival of Chanukah is really about? There are many reasons for these traditions. Not one universally accepted text explains the origins of our eight-day Festival of Lights, known as Chanukah. Each has its own merit. Thus it is entirely possible that questions about the festival may have more than one correct answer... 