Hakol - Chanukah 2023

DECEMBER 2023 | KISLEV/TEVET 5784

A time to spread the light

By Ariel Solomon Jewish Day School Hebrew and Judaics Director

Chanukah: the holiday of light, a Jewish symbol for the victory of few against many, a time of year to be together with your family.

This Chanukah will be different. As the war goes on in Israel, and with antisemitism on the rise across the world, spreading light has a new meaning this year.

These dark times we are experiencing now are

not new to us as Jewish people. Throughout our history, we’ve been chased and attacked by the nations around us and we’ve always survived. Whenever harsh times came upon us, we came together and found strength and leadership among our community members.

Hillel and Shamai had a famous argument on how to light the chanukiah. Shamai said that you begin with eight candles and reduce the number every night of Chanukah.

Hillel said that you begin

with one candle and add another every night to increase the light. The Halakhah (law) sided with Hillel, so every year we begin with a small light that grows and spreads throughout the holiday.

The prophet Isaiah tells us in his prophecy, “I the L-rd have called unto you in righteousness, and have taken hold of your hand, and submitted you as the people’s covenant, as a light unto the nations” (Isaiah 42:6). During Chanukah this year, we will not only increase the light every night, but we will be the light and spread it across our community.

Our students at the Jewish Day School will be writing get-well and holiday cards to kids in the Good Shepherd Rehabilitation Pediatric Center in Bethlehem.

During the week before Chanukah, we will hold a donation drive for Jewish Family Service and an animal shelter, and we will provide them with the donations we gather right in time for Chanukah, including cat wands that the students will make for the Center for

Animal Health and Welfare in Easton.

Better Together is our pen pal partnership between our fourth through eighth graders and senior members of the community. This Chanukah, the students will make packages for their pen pals that will include decorated wooden dreidels. They’ll present the packages at a special Chanukah party at Country Meadows.

Chanukah candle lighting will take place in each of the JDS classrooms during its Judaics classes, along with

lessons about the different Chanukah traditions, mitzvot and history.

The JDS student council leadership will see everyone at the Community Chanukah Party at Temple Beth El on December 10 from 10 a.m. to noon. The students will run a fun activity booth.

We wish for a Chanukah filled with light for our community, for the people in Israel and for the Jewish community across the world.

May this Chanukah be a time of peace.

JFS, Nathanson to bring Chanukah to older adults Chanukah will feel a little brighter this year for older adults across the Lehigh Valley. Residents at Atria, Country Meadows Allentown, Country Meadows Bethlehem, Legend of Allentown, Luther Crest, Moravian Hall Square, Phoebe, Traditions of Hanover and the Vero at

Bethlehem will enjoy a presentation by Jewish Family Service volunteer Howard Nathanson as well as traditional dreidel games.

JFS thanks Nathanson for bringing these celebrations — along with holiday treats and chocolate gelt — to Valley residents.

Howard Nathanson visiting older adults for Chanukah 2022.

2 DECEMBER 2023 | HAKOL LEHIGH VALLEY | CHANUKAH 5784

YOAV CALLING!

Chanukiahs will soon light up Israel: We are here!

By Nurit Galon Partnership2Gether

Chanukah! Doesn’t the very word conjure up for the Jewish people wonderful images of lighting the Chanukah candles, the spreading of light throughout the room, perhaps Chanukah geld, the delicious smell and taste of latkes —not so great for the figure, but how wonderful to eat! Add those sugary doughnuts and the feast is complete.

Our Jewish calendar is filled with days to remember and honor. Sadly, so many of them are days of mourning, so few of them days of rejoicing. Chanukah is one of the favorites — the stories and tales of the Maccabees, our heroes, the many songs, in spite of the hardships and suffering. But this year, on October 7, Israel was yet again involved in war, and the delights of Chanukah faded as Israel hurried to defend itself and to save what-

ever and whoever could be saved from the kibbutzim and moshavim surrounding the Gaza Strip.

October 7 will be remembered as perhaps the worst and most violent attack on Israel since the Holocaust and perhaps even before.

The leaders of Hamas, rulers of Gaza and the Gaza Strip, did not attack the Israeli army. They attacked our civilians. Women and children, babies and older adults, whole families were killed, kidnapped, raped and abused. Houses were burned, agriculture ruined.

Everywhere devastation.

Was the State of Israel really in danger? The answer is yes, the greatest danger since the establishment of the state. The army, air force and navy of Israel are truly amazing, understanding what is at stake, and they are paying a high price. I doubt if there is any family in Israel that doesn’t have a fallen soldier, but morale is

high and the slogan “Together we shall succeed” is very effective. Here is a good place to mention our female soldiers, who can be seen in every branch and today are acknowledged as an important part of the fighting army.

Our Jewish communities around the world are bemused to discover that instead of receiving strong support for what they are going through, they have somehow become responsible, and Hamas has become the good guys. The Jewish communities are so important to stand up for Israel and for Jews everywhere. It is not easy. Pro-Palestinians have no problem with violence and lies. It is not the way for Jews to use violence and threats when our whole lives we have believed that if we live good and righteous lives, things will work out.

But they don’t. And so the war goes on. No one knows when and what will be the

outcome. We believe in our people, in our army. Not everyone believes in our government.

Soon, every water tower across Israel will have its menorah lit up, and the message goes throughout the country: We are here! And together we will be victorious!

Throughout Yoav, we send you all a glowing Chanukah. Be well. We continue to be proud of all that you are doing.

Community Chanukah Party Come Experience:

Chanukah Magic by the Amazing Marookie Game booths Israeli Breakfast & Latkes Enjoy the Chanukah Shuk - Bring your spare change

Sunday, December 10th 10 A.M. to 12 P.M. Temple Beth El 1305 Springhouse Rd, Allentown, PA 18104 Admission price is $ 5.00 per adult & children under the age of 18 are free.

Payment is to be made at the door. Cash Only.

REGISTRATION REQUIRED RSVP by Wednesday, December 6th. Scan the QR code or visit the link to Register. jewishlehighvalley.regfox.com/community-chanukah-party

JDS is a beneficiary agency of the Jewish Federation of the Lehigh Valley

Why JDS?

By Megan Hyman

T

he decision parents make about where to send their children for school is often one of the most stressful and difficult. Will the school strike the right balance between quality of education and overall child development? How will our child fit in? Luckily for our family, in a period of great uncertainty, the decision to choose the Jewish Day School of Lehigh Valley was the easiest “yes!” we’ve ever said.

We arrived in Allentown in late March 2020 with a 2-year-old son, Joseph and 4-month-old daughter, Evelyn. Having flown in from Dallas, Texas to be closer to family (Adam’s parents, Dr. David and Mrs. Susan Hyman who have lived in Allentown for nearly 50 years), we assumed

we’d be here only a few weeks at most. As the pandemic continued, we made decision after decision to establish roots and build a life here in Pennsylvania.

When it came time for Joseph, our now five-year-old son, to get back into an early childhood education program, the welcoming, intimate, and warm environment at JDS was an obvious place for us to turn. The administration and staff worked tirelessly to adhere to everchanging guidelines from the CDC and still make the magic of school very real for its students. Joseph FLOURISHED in this environment, and now that he’s in his third year as a student (kindergarten!) he loves the dynamic and joyful learning experience he’s had there. I’ll never forget when he came home to recite the full Pledge of Allegiance and knew all the words to the Hatikvah at three years old!

This year, his sister Evelyn was able to join the three-year-old program with the same teachers and several younger siblings of her brother’s class. She was very shy at first, but quickly overcame that and truly gets ready for school with enthusiasm. The school has supported her love of art, singing, and she’s made the sweetest friends. We LOVE getting updates and photos on the Class Dojo app throughout the day.

Our kids became extremely close during the quarantine stage of the pan-

demic as built-in playmates and friends.

The JDS has enabled that relationship to strengthen – they check in on each other on the playground and love to see each other in the hallways. It’s a joy to see the older children care for the younger ones.

Evelyn is always so proud when one of the “big kids” helps her with her backpack at the end of the day, and Joseph talks about his “reading buddy” constantly!

One of the major tenets of the JDS is a devotion to the development of bright, confident students who are well prepared to meet the world. This couldn’t be more representative of our experience.

Sadly, our chapter in Allentown is coming to a close. For professional reasons, we are moving back to Texas at the conclusion of the school year. Our love for the community that Amy Golding, her staff, and volunteers have created will stay with us forever. The friendships we’ve made as a family through the school will remain and we know these memories made here will bring us joy for years to come.

For any parent grappling with the decision of where to send your child to school in the Lehigh Valley, we found the JDS an extremely supportive place, a refuge from the uncertainties that we all face in our daily lives, and the perfect environment to instill a love of learning and Jewish values.

Who is the refugee? It’s me.

Editor’s note: On Saturday, February 4, JDS parent Anastasiia Zavodnyk, was invited to be a guest speaker at Refugee Shabbat at Temple Beth El. Here are her remarks.

So, who is the refugee? It’s me. I can’t speak for everyone, only for myself and my family. But let my story be something that can show the general picture.

The beginning of 2022 It was a happy time for me.

I had a beautiful house near Kyiv, capital of Ukraine. I had a garden full of fruit trees and berry bushes. I had great plans – I was opening my own cafe and bakery store, I was setting up a big greenhouse to plant many vegetables there. My children went to great preschool and afterschool smart classes. My daughter started to go to ballroom classes at the best dance school in the area. My husband had a very important role with great career opportunities in the biggest energy company in Ukraine. We used to invite our friends to our little parties at home, used to see our parents when we wanted to. It was really a very great period of life; I was truly happy.

And then, on 24th of February, all was ruined. The war started. And what did we know about war? Only history WW2 from books and movies…and some horrible stories from our grandparents. We decided to stay, because it was our home. We thought that our village was now a target for the enemy and even if they would come. We heard stories from our grandparents who remembered a time when their homes were under occupation during WW2 so we kind of could guess how it could be in our case. But we were wrong, very very wrong. Because in village aren’t many people – it’s difficult to feel panic. We heard sounds of missile strikes, the house was shaking every time, but personally I really felt it on the second week, end of February. I needed to take my youngest daughter to doctor. So, we were going by car there. It wasn’t far but we needed to go through a checkpoint which was created as a part of country protection actions. There I saw real soldiers, guns, bullets laying on the ground, tanks for the first time in my life. And it wasn’t museum exhibition, it was real life situation. But worst was that something just fly above my head and then I heard and felt shot near me. It was enemy drone. It scared me to death, I never ever felt like this before. Next weeks were very scary for me. The enemy soldiers were closer and closer to our village. At

Food served will be kosher under the supervision of Rabbi Re'em.

evening we needed to shut all lights, because our territorial defense was looking for hiding russian soldiers. I realized that I couldn’t stand any more. I couldn’t pretend as nothing serious was happening and it was safe enough for kids. The worse for me was to let then feel fear, to feel war. It’s not what children should feel, not until they are enough old to understand everything and not be hurt by it. I want my children to be happy, to be confident and have strong and healthy mental health.

So, I asked my husband to leave our home.

We left on 7th of March and on 8th of March russians* came to our house. They occupied all village, killed men, raped women, stole a lot of things, ruin our houses… it lasted 4 weeks. So, it was nothing like occupation during WW2… it was worse, much worse. And it is still.

Now we are here. And we are very lucky, because we met people with very big open hearts full of love and kindness, people who helped us with so many things.

People from Jewish Day School, Jewish Community of Lehigh Valley, Jewish Community Center. Not enough words to describe how grateful we are for it. And this great opportunity to know Jewish traditions and lan-

guage that my kids have – only because of you. It is very important because we have the ability to reconnect with their roots, which I hadn’t in my childhood. Your help and support made us confident in our presence here, in the US! So, what is the difference between me as a refugee and other people who came here as immigrants? Reasons why we came. I love Ukraine, it’s my home, home of my children and many past generations of my and my husband’s family. We miss our home a lot. And before February 2022 we never thought about emigrating abroad, we simply didn’t want to, because we were satisfied with our lives and happy in Ukraine. We chose the US because it was the best option of all, but also the most difficult. It was hard, and it is hard. Not only because of usual immigrant’s difficulties such as different language, different culture, finding job, getting all local documents, impossible life without a car, almost impossible life without a credit score, but the real difficulty is not being allowed to go out of the US. Maybe for people, who decide to come here, who has it like big goal, who choose to live here and can stand everything to make this “American dream” came true, but it is very hard for us, refugees, forced migrants, who’s heart is still at our home with our friends, neighbors, parents, houses and gardens. And only your help made our life here more like at home (through relations, conversations, care and support). Because at the end of the day most important things are not material things, they will never ever fill your heart and soul with love, kindness and happiness.

So, I want to say a big, huge thank you one more time to all of you! I am grateful for the ability to be here today, in a safe, beautiful and ambitious place, the US. I’m grateful to all of you, for listening to my story, for supporting my family and Ukraine. I believe that war will end soon, that I can finally see my home and hug all my friends and neighbors. But I, as all Ukrainians, still stay in that fatal February, in pre-war days, when we were on our land, in our home; happy, confident in the coming days, full of ambitious plans.

CHANUKAH 5784 | HAKOL LEHIGH VALLEY | DECEMBER 2023 3

*I use little letter instead of capital on purpose. I don’t respect this people anymore and it’s even hard for me to call them people, because what they have done and are still doing doesn’t look like they are humans at all to me. And because it is my story, I want to highlight it as my relation to them.

Maccabee games

London 33. DeLuise and Irrera 36. Site of a Samson victory 39. Nickname for the 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 Maccabee who played basketball?

15 16 14 43. “Fit to” conclusion 18 19 17 44. She was strong in 20 21 22 23 the Force 45. “Say again?” to 24 25 26 27 28 29 Noa 31 30 47. Important hosp.

32 33 34 35 36 37 38 personnel 49. Ammonia or 39 40 41 42 fertilizer (compound) 43 44 45 46 52. Nickname for the Maccabee who did 47 48 49 50 51 pole vault?

52 53 54 55 56 57. “Read Across 58 59 57 America” org.

58. “...___ quit!”

60 61 62 63 64 65 66 67 59. MSG team 69 70 68 60. Nickname for the 72 73 71 Maccabee who ran marathons?

65. Commentator Across Maccabee who weightCoulter 1. Giants’ domain, briefly lifted?

68. One way to shop 4. “Gab,” “slug” or 20. Article in a Spanish 69. Dog in the funny newspaper?

“Purim” ending 8. Latkes as opposed to 22. Notable Jr. in politics papers 70. “Cinderella” opener? latke 23. Radio host Shapiro 71. Grants right of way 14. ... gadol hayah ___ 24. Nickname for the 15. Kind of korban Maccabee who sprinted? 72. ___-do-well 73. Store-window 30. Rancher’s foe 16. Change a title, say posting: Abbr.

31. “Friendly” 17. Stat. for the Polar Bear introduction?

18. Nickname for the 32. Olympics host after

Down 1. Where to hear 23-Across 2. Pocket watch attachment 3. Relaxes 4. Paleontologist’s relic 5. Peyton’s bro 6. Word in many California cities 7. Jazzy Jeff, per a Fresh Prince album name 8. Hawthorne’s “A” wearer 9. Guitar legend Paul 10. College, to an Aussie 11. Big name in Conservative camps 12. Torah great, long ago 13. Big name in Communism 19. Pursue, in a way 21. It might result in an int.

24. Author Tolkien 25. Avodah Zarah board, some say 26. Flanders and Ryerson 27. Rock great Dave 28. Legal defense org.

29. Open or pigeon follower 34. He stole Homer’s Flaming drink 35. “Goosebumps” author R. L. 37. Edot ___ 38. Words that start a

classic Chanukah song 40. “Jeopardy!” creator Griffin 41. Michael of the “AntMan” movies 42. Joseph spent some time here 46. Opposite of 64-Down 48. Foundation and Rosetta 50. Bill with Hamilton on it, in slang 51. Manta, for one 52. Find pleasure in 53. Téa of “Jurassic Park III” 54. Bald all-American?

55. A bit of a joule 56. Kind of mustard 61. “The Simpsons” nebuch Gunderson 62. Rep. or Dem. alternative 63. Literary salute 64. “Giddyup!”

66. Chanukah need 67. ___ gadol hayah....

Stumped?

Find the answers at jewishlehighvalley.org/ hakol/crossword

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4 DECEMBER 2023 | HAKOL LEHIGH VALLEY | CHANUKAH 5784

The hidden message of Chanukah

By Rabbi Moshe Re’em Temple Beth El

It is very hard this time of year to avoid getting caught up in materialism. Black Friday sales and New Year’s sales surround us and pull us in magnetically, whether we’re willing or not.

Living as we do in a material, disposable society, we are constantly in search of the newest and most improved “thing” to set our eyes on. When I was a child, my mother would often say to me, “Do you really want it, or do your eyes want it?”

What is it about new and shiny material objects that beckons us and hypnotically

transfixes our gaze, calling out to us again and again.

One possibility is that by focusing on the material, we feel more anchored in the “this-worldly.” If I am attached to a material object, I am very much “here.” That is, instead of the Descartian notion “Cogito, ergo sum” (I think, therefore I am), material culture translates into “I buy, therefore I am.” On a certain psychological level, to acquire a material object is to defy the forces of death, for in death I cannot enjoy those material objects.

The tension between the material and the spiritual characterizes many religions.

Jews, as well as members of other faith groups, are bombarded at this time of year by various types of sales meant for our “giftgiving needs.” The question is, How much do we really “need” any of these objects?

In what way does any particular “thing” pull us away from a more spiritual practice? Living, as we do, in a material, consumer-oriented society, we have become habituated to buying the latest and greatest. Rabbi Jonathan Slater in his wonderful commentary to Rabbi Levi Yitzchak’s “Kedushat Levi” (ca. 1811) asks, “What does it take to break a habit?

Have you experienced the

process of changing deeply rooted habits?” Part of the role of religious practice is to disrupt habits that distract us from that which is longer lasting and more meaningful.

In a clever wordplay on a verse from Parashat Miketz, which often falls during Chanukah, Rabbi Levi Yitzchak draws our attention to our ties to the material: “Now Joseph was the vizier (of the land); he was the broker distributing rations to all the people of the land (am ha’aretz)” (Genesis 42:6). Levi Yitzchak differentiates between am ha’aretz and am hshem (the people of the Lord).

He writes, “The ‘people of the land’ are those who are tied to worldly materiality, and it is necessary to break (lishbor) them of that attachment. This is the sense of our verse, “Joseph was the vizier … the broker (hamashbir)” — that is, he was the ruler who broke (meshaber) those people who have to be brought higher. They have to be raised up so that they might be called ‘the people of YHVH.’” In reading this passage, I thought of the Israeli chain of department stores Hamashbir. Instead of disrupting our attachment to the material, like Joseph the

broker, department stores like Hamashbir are poised to exploit our materialistic urge. It takes great strength this time of year to resist the urge to buy, buy, buy. The gulf between people of the land (consumers tied to plastic material objects) and people of the Lord (liberated individuals in the service of a higher power) is sometimes great. Chanukah challenges us to resist that urge of the gashmi (the material) and search for ruchani (the spiritual).

There is a theory among scholars that the eight-day celebration of Chanukah was actually a late observance of the festival of Sukkot. Both holidays last for eight days and Hallel is recited on both.

While the Temple stood in Hellenizers’ hands, the observance of the pilgrimage festival of Sukkot was impossible. The Temple stood desecrated, and any ritual observance of the festival would have been impossible.

Once the Hasmoneans regained control of the Temple, an eight-day observance

of Sukkot could be possible.

When thought of in those terms, the contrast between the materialism that we encounter during the holiday season today and the ancient message of Sukkot — withdrawing from our material homes and residing in shaky huts — is stark.

The 14th-century Spanish Talmudic scholar and kabbalist Isaac Aboab writes, “The Sukkah is designed to warn us that a person is not to put their trust in the size or strength or beauty of their home, though it be filled with all precious things. But let them put their trust in the great G-d whose word called the universe into being.” On Chanukah, the haftorah from Zacharia 4:6 reminds us of this goal: “Not by might, not by power, but by my spirit — said G-d of Hosts.”

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BOOK REVIEW Hoping for her own holiday miracle

“Eight Nights of Flirting,” Hannah Reynolds, Razorbill, 2022, 400 pages.

By Sean Boyle Congregation Keneseth Israel

Hannah Reynolds’ “Eight Nights of Flirting,” named a Sydney Taylor Book Awards Young Adult Honor Book for 2023, is a Chanukah romantic comedy with Shira Barbanel not only finding love, but also starting to discover what is truly important in life.

Sixteen-year-old Shira doesn’t know how to flirt but wants to attract the attention of her great-uncle’s young assistant, Isaac, who will be coming to the Barbanel family’s historic home in Nantucket to celebrate Chanukah. Wanting her own Chanukah miracle of finally getting a boyfriend, Shira asks

her nemesis/former crush to teach her how to flirt. Tyler agrees to help her learn to flirt only if she will help him talk with her great-uncle about a chance to intern at his large media corporation.

As Shira’s large extended family arrives, Tyler joins in Barbanel family traditions to help Shira grow more comfortable in flirting. Spending the extra time with Tyler helps her work through her fears of not knowing what she wants in life and allows her to experience having fun again.

They also begin to research the contents of a mysterious box discovered in the attic that have ties to when the Barbanel family came to Nantucket in the early 1800s.

With the arrival of Shira’s great-uncle, Shira finally gets to be near Isaac again and is hoping for her own Chanukah

miracle. But her 12-year-old triplet cousins and extendedfamily dramas make her wonder if the real miracle is that the Barbanel family is still talking with one another at the end of the winter break.

Reynolds concentrates on accurately portraying the Barbanel’s Chanukah traditions and has Shira explaining aspects of the holiday to Tyler, who is Christian.

Reynold also includes Tyler’s family’s Christmas traditions, the traditional seasonal events on Nantucket. There is also a description of how Shira’s Vietnamese American friend Olivia Phan’s family celebrates New Year’s, eating spring rolls, banh mi and sticky rice.

Reynolds loves Christmas Hallmark and Netflix films but agreed with the criticisms that there was a lack of reli-

loose and floats to the surface. If your menorah is glass or ceramic, be sure to prewarm it with hot tap water so the sudden

change of temperature doesn’t cause it to expand unevenly and break.

2. Put the menorah in the freezer. The wax pops right

gious, BIPOC and LGBTQ+ inclusion in them. So she wrote a book that includes those aspects. But unlike “The Matzah Ball” by Jean Meltzer, where it was as if Chanukah portrayals were attempting to be as “exciting” as Christmas traditions, Reynolds’ story centers on the Barbanel’s Chanukah traditions and includes only minimal aspects of Tyler’s and Olivia’s family celebrations.

Reynolds’ previous book, “The Summer of Lost Letters,” is a stand-alone book about the Barbanel family in Nantucket. Under her pen name, Allison Parr, she published several romance novels dealing with 20-yearolds living and dating in New York City.

“Eight Nights of Flirting” is highly recommended for ages 13-120, especially for

anyone who enjoys Hallmark Christmas movies and wished there were more movies of a similar sort about Chanukah.

Sean Boyle is Congregation Keneseth Israel’s librarian and serves as vice president, president-elect, of the Association of Jewish Libraries.

6 fun and easy ways to remove wax from your menorah Kveller

1. Place the menorah in a dishpan, then pour boiling water over it and let it stand. The wax comes

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3. Use old corn cob handles (the plastic handles with two metal prongs that you stick into the cob) to clean out the actual candle bases.

The back of a butter knife works to clean the rest.

4. Boil a kettle of water. Set

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the menorah in a sink, and slowly pour the water over it.

5. Aim a hairdryer at the menorah and wipe with a soft cloth.

6. Here’s one for all the procrastinators: First, grumble for a few days.

Next, put the menorah away with intentions to remove the wax later. Then, right before Chanukah next year, use hot water!

RECIPES

A double dare of Chanukah fare

Israeli krispie treats

By Sandi Teplitz Special to Hakol

Angel hair pasta with 3 broccolis Repeatedly, we hear of potatoes fried in oil for Chanukah. Why not change up the carb this year? Try this before you light the menorah!

Ingredients:

1 pound mixed romanescu, broccolini and broccoflower, cooked 1 pound angel hair pasta, cooked until al dente 1/2 cup vegetable broth 7 peeled garlic cloves, 4 minced and 3 finely cut Freshly grated cheese or nutritional yeast

Technique:

Heat the olive and add the minced garlic. Cook until the garlic turns light brown. Discard the browned garlic and saute the finely cut garlic.

Add the 3 broccoli types, along with the broth, and salt and pepper to taste. Simmer for five minutes.

Add the pasta. Toss well for 5 minutes on medium-high heat. Remove from heat and sprinkle with the cheese or “nootch.”

Enjoy with chilled dry wine.

Want to make something sweet with your family, but you’re stymied because you need something pareve, vegan and gluten free? Here’s a recipe that checks all the boxes. I doubled it to support the use of cookie cutters. For best results use large ones. Dreidels and Jewish stars work well. (Note that not all grocery stores carry all the ingredients.)

Ingredients:

11 1/2 cups crispy rice cereal 2 bags Dandies vegan marshmallows, cut up 8 tablespoons Melt organic salted margarine, plus more for greasing pans Blue food coloring White sparkling sugar

Technique:

Grease two 13-by-9-inch pans with margarine.

Put the 8 tablespoons of margarine and the bags of marshmallows into a large saucepan, stirring occasionally until melted. (You can use Fluff marshmallow spread, but it’s not vegan.) Add all but 1 cup of the cereal. Mix. Place the remaining cup of cereal into a paper bag and add 1 drop of color. Shake to mix. Pour the colored cereal into the saucepan with the remaining ingredients and mix. Divide the mixture between the two pans and pat down. Chill for 1/2 hour.

Press the cookies cutters into the chilled mixture. Remove the shapes to a large platter, sprinkle with sparkling sugar and serve.

Happy Chanukah

From the Board & Staff of the Jewish Federation of the Lehigh Valley ROBERT WAX President

JERI ZIMMERMAN Executive Director

CHANUKAH 5784 | HAKOL LEHIGH VALLEY | DECEMBER 2023 7

y p p a H h a k k u n a H Let us help your celebration shine.