You might be asking yourself, “What is Thanksgivukkah?”. Well our friend Amy from Kveller.com has shared her favorite ways to celebrate it! And count yourself lucky, because it isn’t going to happen again for another 70,000, say 80,000 years! Happy Thanksgivukkah, and Happy Hanukkah to all our Jewish friends!
By: Amy Deutsch
You might have noticed that us Jews have some kind of new holiday this year–Thanksgivukkah. The blogs are buzzing about this once-in-every-70,000-year occurrence. This holiday mish-mosh has produced all kinds of new ideas, from the menurkey (a Hanukkah menorah shaped like a turkey, seen here) to these fabulous fingernail decals to Buzzfeed’s menu roundup. (My favorite, though, is this list of how to give to others on Thanksgivukkah.)
Personally, I think Thanksgivukkah is awesome, but Hanukkah itself is also an amazing holiday. It celebrates the story of the Maccabees, who fought back when., in the 2nd century BCE, the Syrian Greeks came and tried to prevent them from practicing Judaism. Celebrating freedom–of religion, of belief, and of individuality, is something that resonates for young kids. Standing up for what you believe in, even in the face of great potential obstacles, is a lesson in building character. I like to tell my children the story of the Maccabees with finger puppets. But if that’s not your style, try out The Ziz and the Hanukkah Miracle for children 3-6, or Maccabee! The Story of Hanukkah for children 5 and older. (For even more Hanukkah books, check out PJ Library’s selection here.
Hanukkah is one of those holidays that just lends itself to all sorts of things, from books to crafts to recipes. A Hanukkah tradition is to eat foods fried in oil, as part of the miracle of Hanukkah has to do with having enough oil to rededicate the holy Temple after the war was over. Latkes (potato pancakes) and jelly doughnuts are the fried foods of choice, and I have a new latke recipe to share with you: oven-fried latkes. These are easy, delicious, and you don’t have to stand over a pot of hot oil all night instead of spending time with your guests. And here’s a favorite Hanukkah cookie recipe that’s perfect to make with your kids. Buy yourself some Hanukkah cookie cutters and you’re good to go!
If you’re more the crafty type, you’ll love this do-it-yourself Hanukkah wrapping paper and these beaded Hanukkah sun catchers. If you’re a serious crafter, you’ll make this Eight Days of Hanukkah wall hanging. It’s out of my league, but it might work for you!
Good thing Hanukkah’s eight days long so that there’s time to fit everything in. Speaking of which, get ready for the deluge of Hanukkah activities. Brooklyn is filled to the brim with Hanukkah fun, so check my list below to see where it’s all happening.
Happy Hanukkah!
Some of the many upcoming Brooklyn Hanukkah events:
Sunday November 17: Hanukkah Rock Concert at Park Slope Jewish Center!
Your little ones will love dancing and singing with Joanie Leeds, kiddie rocker extraordinaire, at Park Slope Jewish Center’s Hanukkah Rock Concert on Sunday, November 17 at 2 pm.
The concert will be fun for kids of all ages, and Joanie promises to get everyone–from babies to grandparents–up and dancing. Tickets are $10 for adults, and free for children. This event is cosponsored by PJ Library, the Kings Bay Y @ Windsor Terrace, the Jewish Community House of Bensonhurst, Kolot Chayeinu, and KTown Shabbat Club. Park Slope Jewish Center is located at 1320 8th Ave at 14th Street. For more information, email Amy Deutsch, Associate Director of Children’s Programming, at pjlibrary@psjc.org or go to http://psjc.org/children-and-youth/pj-library/.
Sunday November 24: Hanukkah Craft and Social Justice Market
Check out this full-day affair at Congregation Beth Elohim in Park Slope. The craft fair runs from 11-5, with a fabulous concert at4 pm by the Dirty Socks Funtime Band. It’s gonna rock! More info here.
Sunday November 24: Parent How-To Workshop on Hanukkah
Head to Kane Street Synagogue in Cobble Hill from 1:30 – 2:15 pm for this interactive workshop run by parents, for parents. Some parents have a strong Jewish educational background, while others are learning along with their kids or have forgotten much from their past. Many of our parents did not grow up Jewish and are not Jews while others converted into Judaism. So parents are planning to run short workshops prior to holidays to share practical skills and knowledge (how to say the blessings, what to cook, the meaning of the holiday, etc.). There will also be different kids’ activities at Kane Street that day–check it out here: http://kanestreet.org/calendar/
Sunday November 24: Community Hanukkah Art Festival
Over at Hannah Senesh Community Day School in Carroll Gardens, there’s plans for an art festival from 1:00 pm – 4:00 pm. More details are here: http://www.hannahsenesh.org/calendar?date=11/2013#24
Sunday November 24: 8 Ways to Cook, Bake, and Enhance with Olive Oil
At Brooklyn Heights Synagogue, they’ll be running this workshop on bringing olive oil into your Hanukkah celebrations. For adults, from 11:00 am – 1:00 pm. More details here: http://www.bhsbrooklyn.org/about-us/calendar
Amy is a Jewish educator and a mom. Over the past 15 years Amy has developed experience in teaching, family education, camp, and curriculum writing. She runs children’s programs at Park Slope Jewish Center and writes for Kveller.com. She lives in Park Slope with her family.