Thanksgivukah

Happy g s i v k u n k a a h h T

Supplement to Jewish News November 25, 2013

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Dear Readers, It’s almost here…Thanksgivukah, the convergence of Chanukah and Thanksgiving. Yes, Chanukah comes first. Since it may not

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This special section of the Jewish News includes thoughtful pieces on the two holidays as well as some fun

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articles. For example, we’ve asked locals about some favorite Chanukah and Thanksgiving traditions. The responses run the gamut and span the globe.

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Keeping in the spirit of the two holidays, we offer some tips on frying…specifically turkeys, of course, but also chick peas and pickles and more.

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About the cover Photograph by Steve Budman

Happy Thanksgivukah!

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At Thanksgivukah, celebrate uniqueness of the separate holidays Chanukah begins Wednesday, Nov. 27; Thanksgiving is Thursday, Nov. 28

by Dasee Berkowitz

NEW YORK (JTA)— Some folks are taking the rare confluence this year of Thanksgiving and Chanukah to heart, renaming it Thanksgivukah, redesigning their menus for the occasion (latkes topped with cranberry relish anyone?) and refashioning ritual objects (a turkey-shaped chanukiyah called the Menurkey is gaining traction on Kickstarter).

Others are taking it one step deeper, celebrating how the combined holidays enable us to fully appreciate being both Jewish and American. It’s a perfect symbiosis: As we freely celebrate Chanukah this year, we recognize that we directly benefit from the freedoms that were at the core of what brought the Puritans and Pilgrims to settle a new land.

But Jewish tradition doesn’t love conflating holidays. In fact, there’s a concept—“ein mearvin simcha b’simcha”—that we shouldn’t mix one happy occasion with another. No weddings during Sukkot or Passover, or any Jewish holiday, for that matter.

At first glance it seems like a downer.

Shouldn’t doubling up on our celebration just enhance our enjoyment and be a net gain?

For those of us with birthdays on Rosh Hashanah or New Year’s Day, we know that conflating celebrations doesn’t really work—one celebration usually gets lost into the other. Keeping celebrations separate enables us to be fully present for each.

So instead of conflating Chanukah and Thanksgiving, let’s look at it another way:

How can the unique aspects of each holiday help us more fully celebrate the other?

Thanksgiving teaches us to give thanks for the harvest and for all we have without the need to acquire more. How can that concept inform our celebration of Chanukah, a holiday that has become overrun with gift giving that verges on the excessive?

Instead of being thankful for the plenty that so many of us experience—we mostly take the most basic things for granted, like waking up in a dry, warm bed each morning—we want more, and on Chanukah we watch children tear through gifts wondering what else awaits them each night of the Festival of Lights.

Parents can help children appreciate that mom and dad’s presence in their lives can be present enough by giving the gift of time to their kids at Chanukah. So often we are distracted by everything we must do in life—I have been shamed by my son asking me to stand “still as a statue” as he tries to get my attention or by my daughter saying “Ima, just listen to me.”

Pick a night of Chanukah and give your child a period of your undivided attention.

Friends and significant others can also give each other the gift of an evening unplugged.

Go out with your friends or spouses unmediated by a screen of any kind.

For your children, help them cultivate a sense of gratitude and the plenty in their own lives. On one night of Chanukah, ask your kids to recycle some of their own toys and gift them to others. On another night,

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they can give some money or time to charity.

We don’t need more things, we need to appreciate the people who fill our lives with meaning and the power we have to help others.

What lessons can Chanukah provide in our celebration of Thanksgiving?

For starters, it can teach us not to shy away from ritual. Significant Jewish occasions are ritualized, from lighting the Chanukiyah to recounting the Exodus story on Passover, to a Shabbat meal replete with blessings over candles, grape juice and wine. The rituals help to connect us to Jewish time and to the drama of Jewish history. They transport us from the realm of the ordinary into the realm of the sacred. They enable us to slow down and pay attention to the experiences that are unfolding before us.

While each family may have its own rituals on Thanksgiving—the football game or carving of the turkey—many of us feel self-conscious about rituals that enter the sphere of the sacred, like inviting guests to share what they are grateful for or chanting a blessing to thank God for the food we are about to eat. It amazes me how much time, effort and money is put into preparing a lavish Thanksgiving meal, and the invited guests just dig in and then complain about overeating.

Invite everyone to pause before eating and say one thing for which they are grateful—from the food, the chef or the One who makes it all possible. Connect your feelings of gratitude to the company that surrounds you or for what it means for you to be an American today. Make this sharing circle or some other activity you create as a group a ritualized part of what you do each Thanksgiving.

Chanukah can also

teach Thanksgiving a thing or two about being different. Whereas Thanksgiving sends us a powerful message about intergroup relations and the coming together of the Plymouth colonists and the Wampanoag Indians for a fall harvest feast, Chanukah celebrates what sets us apart and makes us different.

Chanukah honors the Maccabean revolt to safeguard practices unique to Jewish people (like Shabbat, holiday celebration and circumcision). The strong impulse to develop our unique and particular identities is an important first stage to pass through before coming together with others and celebrate multiculturalism. We need to know who we are first before we can share that with others. And while I love Thanksgiving because it is a holiday celebrated by so many Americans, with common foods and customs, let’s celebrate what makes our families different and unique.

What is particular about your family that you would like your kids to learn about this Thanksgiving? Stories of resilience or bravery? Others? This Thanksgiving, encourage those gathered around the table to share the particular legacy they would like to leave to their children and grandchildren.

Ein mearvin simcha b’simcha suggests that we shouldn’t mix our celebrations.

But when the calendar leaves us no other choice, let’s do so with integrity. Let each holiday’s central values—being thankful for what we already have, celebrating ritual that connects us to that which is sacred and rejoicing in our differences—inform how we experience both festivals this fall.

—Dasee Berkowitz is a contributing writer to JTA.

Every day is Thanksgiving when we recite 100 blessings Memories of Beth El and Thanksgiving

by Shulamith Reich Elster

A native of Norfolk , Shulamith Elster is the daughter of the late Rabbi and Mrs. Paul Reich (Congregation Beth El, 1935 to 1967). She writes occasionally for the Washington Jewish Week reflecting on her 50 years in the Washington Jewish community and on four generations of family life. She is a summer resident of Virginia Beach since 1960.

1620 — “Being thus arrived in a good harbor and brought safe to land, they fell upon their knees and blessed ye God of heaven, who had brought them over ye vast & furious ocean…they “gathered together to ask the Lord’s blessing for their continuing life.” (William Bradford in Of Plymouth Plantation) 1836 — Sara Josepha Hale, best known for Mary Had A Little Lamb, prevails upon President Lincoln to make the Thanksgiving custom into a national day of Thanksgiving.

1939 — President Franklin Delano Roosevelt moves Thanksgiving from the last Thursday in November to the next-to-last to allow a longer Christmas shopping season!

Twenty-three states follow, 23 states do not move the holiday. Texas and Colorado celebrate twice.

1940s — Before the empty lot became Beth El Temple and Junior Congregation in Rooms 5 and 6, “the” place to be, there were wooden pews made for squirming!

Women wore black as widows, the prayer for Jerusalem was read and every visitor to Palestine returned to speak on Friday nights.

Confirmations were crowded with overflow seating in the balcony, a gas heater warmed the tiny chapel, Mr. Polis and Victor Rose gave out Hershey bars after Adon Olam.

The 50s — When the shrubs between the two buildings disappeared and the bicycle rack was moved, we found new places to play on the construction site and wrote our initials in wet cement. The newest of the old wooden pews moved to the new balcony. Trucks with new seats arrived—too late for the first wedding— but they were soft.

Over many years I listened to my father preach hundreds of sermons. To his congregants on Friday night he spoke to engage, educate, provoke, and stimulate and never to entertain. Each Shabbat morning he spoke almost exclusively on the Torah portion integrating special words of wisdom directed at Bnai Mitzvah.

My liberal arts education began on Friday nights at Beth El. I learned about the philosophers and thinkers who shaped Western Civilization, about the unique contributions of Judaism to Mankind (yes, then it was Mankind) and the pulpit on Shirley Ave. taught me about the Feminist Movement and Betty Frieden in 1967!

On Friday night women wore hats and carried gloves. Often I was preoccupied by the fox heads worn by Mrs. Meyers who sat in the row in front of my mother, Judy and me.

She prayed for Jerusalem in a lovely Southern accent.

Then there was THE sermon—the Thanksgiving sermon—the sermon that I will always remember: He began “I am thankful for America,” and Daddy continued through the alphabet—b, c, d, e, f, g, h, i, j, k, l, m, n, o, p, q, r, s, t, u, v, w.

“X,” I whispered to my Mother, “What the X is he going to be thankful for?”

Pause. Long pause.

“I am thankful for the eXtras!’ (1954) We moved from Shirley Ave. to Colonial Ave. and from New York to Potomac, Md. and until Thanksgiving in 1986, Papa Paul to his six grandchildren, began with his special blessing: Some have meat and cannot eat.

Some can eat and have no meat.

We have meat and we can eat.

Praised be the Lord!

Seder like—then he read the Thanksgiving Proclamation of the President of the United States.* The arrival of 14 of the fourth generation convinced us to move to a somewhat abbreviated reading.

A hundred blessings!

Consider a new tradition!

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Change lives across the world during this Thanksgivukah season

Holiday Wines Candies Gelt Menorahs Gifts

by Amy Weinstein

I

have never known the feeling of freezing fingers because my family could not afford mittens. I cannot imagine the pangs of hunger at night because we ran out of food. I have never experienced a Chanukah without parties, latkes, doughnuts, and most of all, presents!

Knowing that there are children in Hungary who experience these conditions on a regular basis, and do not get to celebrate Chanukah with much pomp and excitement, truly gives me goose bumps.

I cannot imagine the circumstances that many Jewish children who live in Budapest, Hungary face every day—and I wish I could brighten their lives, especially as we get into this “Thanksgivukah” season.

This year, I am participating in the United Jewish Federation of Tidewater’s new online initiative, “8 Days of Giving.”

With every $20 donated, I can help provide a Hungarian child with a special basket of Chanukah goodies, including delicacies like warm hats and gloves, children’s books, a small toy, Chanukah candles, and cookies. These items would not have been considered “good gifts” when I was growing up—in fact, I likely would have bemoaned receipt of them during Chanukah. For the children who receive these care packages, these items will bring light to their lives—I am able to share with them some of my joyful

Happy Chanukah!

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When I speak to my colleagues at the JDC and Jaffe Jewish Family Service in Budapest about children like 13-year-old Monika and her siblings, I feel incredibly fortunate, and thus compelled to give just a little bit more. Monika’s mother, Ibolya, is a single mother of four. Monika’s father is not in the picture and the financial burden of caring for four children falls entirely on her mother. While she previously worked as a nurse, Ibolya lost her job and accumulated a large debt that she is struggling to pay back.

In addition to the food packages she receives monthly from JDC’s Jaffe JFS program, Monika also receives school supplies

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(books and stationery), and clothing.

Monika’s family also has their monthly utility bills (gas, electricity, water) covered by the JFS. The family’s JFS-appointed social worker says that the family is in desperate need of basic kitchen furniture (table and chairs)— the current furniture is broken and doesn’t allow for the family to sit together for meals.

During Chanukah this year, be a light for Jewish children in need in Hungary.

Through the Federation, your generosity provides these children with food, medicine and clothing throughout the year. But

during the Festival of Lights, through this special “8 Days of Giving” initiative, your support will make sure their celebration is warm and bright.

Join me in sharing the light of Chanukah with Monika, her family, and other children in Budapest. Please visit www.jewishva.org/ 8Days to make your gift today. Also, please help us spread the word about this initiative by “Liking” UJFT on Facebook at www.facebook.com/UJFTidewater.

jewishnewsva.org | Chanukah | November 25, 2013 | Jewish News | 35

Chanukah in Tidewater Compiled by Shalom Tidewater. For additional information and recipes, go to facebook.com/shalomtidewater.

Beth Sholom Village Chanukah in a Box Purchase a box from Beth Sholom Village and enjoy Chanukah without worrying about making latkes, buying candles, or picking up doughnuts.

Box #1 includes: (for a family of four) 12 latkes, 12 jelly doughnuts, gelt, candles, and a dreidel game. $30 Box #2 includes: (for a family of eight) 24 latkes, 24 jelly doughnuts, double the gelt, candles, and a dreidel game. $48 Box #3 includes: (for a family of 12) 36 latkes, 36 jelly doughnuts, triple the gelt, candles, and a dreidel. $64 Pick-Up Dates and Times: Nov. 25–27, 9 am–5 pm Nov. 29, 9 am–3:30 pm Dec. 2, 9 am–5 pm To order, visit www.bethsholomvillage.com or call Marcia Brodie at 757-420-2512 x 204.

The Cardo Café at the Sandler Family Campus Chanukah made easy!

4 Potato latkes, 4 Soufganiyot (jelly donuts), Apple Sauce, Gelt, (par-baked, pareve), Sour cream also available (Dairy) $10 Pick up: 12-2pm from the Cardo cafe Tue 11/26, Wed 11/27, Mon 12/2, Tue 12/3, Wed 12/4, Thu 12/5 Thanksgiving specials

Get Ready For

Visit 8DaysofGiving.com or call 757-965-6127 for more information

(all items pareve) Mashed Potatoes, Green Beans, Sweet Potato Casserole, Corn Pudding, Stuffing, 2.5 lbs, $11.95; 5 lbs, $17.95 Gravy 1 quart, $11.95 Sweet Potato Pie, Pumpkin Pie, and Apple Pie, $11.95 Pecan Pie, $14.95 Mini Challah Knot Rolls, 6 for $3 Pre-order by Monday, Nov. 25 and pick up on Wednesday, Nov. 27 by 4pm.

Pareve desserts and challah available at Bake Sale on Wednesday, November 27.

Order forms available at the Cardo Café or by email ops@ujft.org. 757-965-6123.

(No orders accepted after Nov. 25) Chabad of Tidewater Grand Menorah Lighting Extravaganza Sunday, Dec. 1, 4:30 pm In front of Waterside in Downtown Norfolk • Giant Menorah lighting • L atkes and Chanukah treats • Lively Jewish music • A ll participants will receive glow in the dark dreidel glasses • Doughnut decorating • Photos with Judah Maccabee and Dizzy the Dreidel.

Free and open to the public. RSVP to rabbilevi@chabadoftidewater.com or visit www.chabadoftidewater.com.

Commodore Levy Chapel Latke Fest 2013 Friday, Nov. 29, 6:30 pm Congregants/Guests are encouraged to “fry up” their favorite Latke recipe and bring enough to share with fellow congregants. This is a Dairy “Pot Luck” Dinner.

The Levy Chapel will provide beverages and Cantor Sachnoff’s famous Challah.

A short worship service will follow the dinner. Base access is required to attend this event. Military of ALL branches are invited, as are their dependents and

36 | Jewish News | November 25, 2013 | Chanukah | jewishnewsva.org

guests. Military Reservists, Civil Servants, Retirees and invited civilian guests are also welcome. There will be a 3rd Light Community Candle Lighting before the Pot Luck Dinner.

Location: Frazier Hall-Naval Station Norfolk. Commodore Levy Chapel is on the second floor. 1530 Gilbert St. Chapel Building located on the corner of Gilbert St. and Maryland Ave. Parking is available on Morris St. For further information, contact the Chaplains Office at 757-444-7361.

Congregation Beth El Chanukah at the Children’s Museum of Virginia Sunday, Dec. 1, 11 am to 12 pm Beth El will be at the Children’s Museum of Virginia (221 High St. in Portsmouth) for a family-oriented program including a Chanukah craft activity and Chanukah songs before going into the museum for a scavenger hunt. Participants pay for museum admission.

Students of BERS (Beth El Religious School) will have Chanukah celebrations during their fourth November session.

Being able to learn four consecutive Sunday mornings in November is a rarity and the morning will be filled with surprises.

Contact the office for more details at 757-625-7821.

Hebrew Academy of Tidewater/Strelitz Early Childhood Center The HAT Gift Shop Monday–Friday, 8 am–4 pm.

The HAT Gift Shop has an incredible selection of Judaica items for all Chanukah needs.

Jewish Family ServiCe 21st Annual Chanukah Gift Program Jewish Family Service provides gifts to local Jewish families, children, and teens in need. JFS is most appreciative of all assistance.

How to help: • Contact JFS to request a Family Wish list.

• Create a Mitzvah Day tradition with family and friends and shop together for gifts.

• Consider a tax-deductible monetary donation to JFS, and JFS will do the shopping for the items most needed/ requested.

• P urchase gift cards from department stores, grocery stores, etc., and families can shop for themselves or use the cards throughout the year.

All donations should be made to JFS by Nov. 13. Contact Maryann Kettyle for more information at 757-459-4640 or mkettyle@jfshamptonroads.org.

Kempsville Conservative Synagogue Annual Chanukah Celebration Sunday, Dec. 1, 4:15 pm Join the KBH family to celebrate Chanukah with their annual tradition of an outdoor chanukiyah lighting, latkes, games, and more. Free and open to all.

RSVPs are not necessary, although helpful in planning: kbhsynagogue@gmail.com.

Ohef Sholom Temple Chanukah Shop Sisterhood’s Chanukah shop is filled with every and anything needed and wanted for the holiday.

Shop hours: Thursdays. 10 am–2 pm; Fridays, 6–8 pm; Sundays, 9:30–12:30 pm; or by appointment by calling 625-4295.

5774/2013

Newish and Jewish?

Rebecca Bickford, Community Concierge for the United Jewish Federation of Tidewater, maintains the Shalom Tidewater program, which provides outreach to Tidewater Jewish community members who are new or interested in becoming more involved.

Rebecca Bickford, Community Concierge

Ohef Sholom Temple and Freemason Street Baptist Church join on Thanksgiving Thursday, Nov. 28, 10 am reception, 11 am service For 86 years, Ohef Sholom Temple has ushered in Thanksgiving with a joint interfaith service with Freemason Street Baptist Church. The temple and the church alternate each year hosting the service. The clergy from the visiting congregation delivers the sermon at the host congregation.

This year’s service is at Ohef Sholom Temple and Dr. Stephen Jolly will deliver the sermon. Prior to the service at 10 am, a reception catered by the Ohef Sholom Sisterhood will take place. The reception and service are open to the community, and all are welcome.

For more information, contact Linda Peck at 625-4295 or linda@ohefsholom.org.

Simon Family JCC Latke-Palooza Monday, Dec. 2, 5:30 pm–7 pm First Annual Latke Fest comes to the JCC. Celebrate Chanukah at the JCC with games, a special Chanukah craft, dinner and a world class latke bar.

Children: $7 ($5 for JCC members) Adults: $10 ($8 for JCC members) Families: $34 ($26 for JCC members) RSVP: 757-321-2338 or stop by the JCC front desk. For more details, contact Jill Sava at 757-321-2306 or jsava@simonfamilyj.org.

Temple Israel Sunday, Dec. 1, 11 am Rabbi Michael Panitz will visit Second Presbyterian Church to speak on “Introducing the Festival of Lights.” Visitors are welcome.

Monday, Dec. 2 The monthly Torah at the Beach class will meet at the home of Vivian and Burke Margulies to discuss “Chanukah Miracles: What is a Miracle?”

Sunday, Dec. 8 Shiv’im Panim La-Torah, a class open to those fluent in Hebrew and conducted in Hebrew by Rabbi Michael Panitz, will study “Chanukah: What is History and What is Legend?” Contact the Temple Israel office, 757-489-4550 for more information.

YAD—Young Adult Division of the UJFT Light It Up—YAD Chanukah Party Saturday, Dec. 7, 8 pm Join YAD to Light It Up at the biggest event of the year featuring the band Vinyl Headlights.

Ticket includes latke bar, doughnut bar, and open bar. Open to people ages 22+. $15 in advance, $20 at door. Tickets sold at www.jewishva.org/YAD.

(757) 452-3180; rbickford@ujft.org Facebook: www.facebook.com/ShalomTidewater Twitter: www.twitter.com/ShalomTidewater

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jewishnewsva.org | Chanukah | November 25, 2013 | Jewish News | 37

Favorite Chanukah and We asked several community members to tell us about their favorite Chanukah or Thanksgiving tradition… their choice. The results were interesting and fun and reflective and the majority centered on Thanksgiving.

Who would have thought that would be the result for the Jewish News?

A large and emotional gathering at Thanksgiving

Brooke family Thanksgiving memories

David Abraham

N

E

very Thanksgiving, we travel to Indianapolis to be with my side of the family. This has been a long-standing tradition that my family loves to do. We have a tremendous amount of fun and camaraderie.

I am one of five siblings, so you can imagine how much fun it is when we are all under one roof! We also have a family tradition at Thanksgiving to tape a special message on what Thanksgiving means to everyone. Since we are at my brother’s house, he goes around the room as he is filming and asks every member of the family, as well as invited guests (tends to be around 50 people), what they are thankful for. As you can also guess, it tends to also be an emotional time as well.

GREAT FAMILY FUN!!

David Abraham and his siblings.

Jeff and Amy Brooke o Thanksgiving dinner would be complete in the Brooke household without “Pop Pop’s” (aka our father, Lenny Brooke) toast. In it, he always reminds us (in his down-to-earth way) that we’re not just having a nice, annual family meal, but that we have so many things to be thankful for. The source of gratitude is Brooke family at Chanukah. different every year: health, wealth, success, freedom—somehow he always seems to capture and elevate the moment.

This year, Thanksgiving coincides with Chanukah, something that won’t happen again for another 70,000+ years. We never know what Pop Pop is going to say, but something tells us his toast is going to have something to do with the double dose of gratitude we all feel as a family for being able to practice our religion freely in this great country and as a part of this great people.

Spinning Chanukah and freedom David Abraham surrounded by family.

Sandra Porter Leon

O

ne of my favorite Chanukah traditions is the gift of the dreidel.

Whether from the Boardwalk Art Show in Virginia Beach or the Shuk Carmel in Tel Aviv or the Dohany Synagogue in Budapest, the dreidel reminds us of our extended Jewish community and the gift of freedom we celebrate during the holiday.

Vino time Carin Simon

M

y favorite Thanksgiving tradition is our family wine tasting.

My dad started it about eight years ago, and it’s become a tradition that we all look forward to every year.

Sandra Porter Leon Carin Simon and her dad, Eric Joffe.

38 | Jewish News | November 25, 2013 | Chanukah | jewishnewsva.org

Driedel by Linda Gissen.

Thanksgiving traditions Raising the flag Kim Simon Fink

T

hanksgiving day couldn’t have been better dressed, better behaved, better celebrated than at our family’s beloved Oakland farm. Fall was always in fullest bloom. Trees and grounds were in technicolor brilliance—yellows and oranges just as nature intended for this special tribute to the days of bountiful harvests. And speaking of bountiful, the Rockwell setting in the dining room brimmed beyond imagination! The turkey in all its glorious roastedness had to compete with bubbling souffles, butternut squash concoctions and the hands down, uncontested best fried chicken ever!

(It was purchased from the country Texaco station up the road that also served as a post office, but that’s a family secret so....)

Visitors new and old were swept away by the beauty and the bounty shared with such pride, love and grace by their hosts, Marilyn and Marvin Simon. But the stand alone Thanksgiving tradition, the one still, collective moment in the otherwise scattered pace of company busy to feast, to play, to catch up with one another, was when our father called us before the flag pole out back and down by the dock. Years of this tradition went into herding every man, woman and child into compliance. There wrapped in our fall/country finery, and in each other, we stood together as Dad and the youngest of our pride unfolded the flag. The onlookers felt the same awe as did the children helping Pops with this sacred responsibility. Two clips and several tugs from all those little hands and Old Glory was flying free in the clear blue sky. And then we sang. Transported by the setting and the songs, God Bless America...America the Beautiful...You’re a Grand Ol’ Flag every

one of us shared our pilgrim’s pride and understood the importance and the beauty of coming together as a community. Our father, our Pops put it out there for us to “get” and we did.

Tradition. It is a powerful motivator and teacher. Seven years since our father’s, our Pop’s passing, the tradition of coming together Marvin Simon prepares to raise the flag at his farm. dockside to raise the flag and sing its praises continues. Our numbers have grown to more than 70, (a four turkey, two tenderloin, one lasagna and all the trimmings feast), but the intimacy of the message and the meaning lives on.

Lighting Chanukah lights for all to see

Chanukah in Israel

Farideh Goldin

Zohar Ben Moshe

remember my father, a Persian living in Iran, lighting the Chanukah candles in the corner of the kitchen where no one could see from the outside. He mumbled the prayers so that no one could hear beyond our family.

I light my menorah by an unobstructed window. Let the light of the candles, glowing more intense every night for eight nights, brighten my house and the faces of those walking by the window. Let the neighbors and passersby know who I Farideh Goldin am—a Jew, no longer afraid.

And for my dear father of blessed memory, I add an additional prayer when I light my menorah. I pray that once again the Iranian Jews, Muslims, Christians, Bahais and Zoroastrians should have the opportunity to share his vision of a free Iran—a light unto other nations.

’ve been 15 years here, and Chanukah is very different in Israel than it is in the United States. In Israel, a lot of people don’t give gifts on Chanukah—they give them on Purim. Here—there are eight gifts for Chanukah, and nothing for Purim! Now that I’m here, I’m going with the flow, and I exchange presents with friends.

Growing up, we celebrated—we’d have parties and play music and dance. One thing that was very special and that I remember so well is making soufganiyot—the special donuts Israelis eat at Chanukah. The making of those goodies was part of the celebration—it was fun and delicious!

I

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Zohar Ben Moshe

jewishnewsva.org | Chanukah | November 25, 2013 | Jewish News | 39

Shmaltz Brewing Company has holiday brews and gifts

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40 | Jewish News | November 25, 2013 | Chanukah | jewishnewsva.org

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ccurring for only the second time since President Lincoln declared Thanksgiving a federal holiday—and it won’t happen again for another 79,043 years—Chanukah and Thanksgiving overlap for the ultimate holiday mashup!

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Pass the cranberry latkes: When holidays collide

by Edmon J. Rodman LOS ANGELES (JTA)—If the Pilgrims are lighting menorahs and the Maccabees are chasing turkeys, it must be Thanksgivukah, as some have come to call the confluence of Thanksgiving and Chanukah that will happen this year on Nov. 28.

It’s a rare event, one that won’t occur again until 2070 and then in 2165. Beyond that, because the Jewish lunisolar (lunar with solar adjustments) calendar is very slowly getting out of sync with the solar calendar, the Chanukah-Thanksgiving confluence won’t happen again by one calculation until the year 79811—when turkeys presumably will be smart enough to read calendars and vacation in space that month.

How do we celebrate this rare holiday alignment? Do we stick candles in the turkey and stuff the horns of plenty with gelt? Put payes on the Pilgrims? What about starting by wishing each other “gobble tov” and then changing the words to a favorite Chanukah melody: “I cooked a little turkey, Just like I’m Bobby Flay, And when it’s sliced and ready, I’ll fress the day away.”

The holiday mash-up has its limits. We know the Macy’s Thanksgiving Parade will not end with a float carrying a Maccabee.

But it has created opportunities as well: Raise your hand if you plan to wait until the post-Thanksgiving Day sales for your Chanukah shopping.

Ritually, just as we’ve figured out that we add candles to our menorahs from right to left and light them from left to right, a new question looms this year: Should we

slice the turkey before or after?

For our household, the dreidel-wishbone overlap means that our son at college who always comes home for Thanksgiving will be home to light the family Chanukiyah, too.

“I think it’s wonderful,” says Dr. Ron Wolfson, whose book Relational Judaism (Jewish Lights Publishing) speaks to how our communal relationships—how we listen and welcome—can make our Jewish communities more meaningful. “This year is about bringing friends and family together.”

Wolfson, also the author of The Hanukkah Family Guide to Spiritual Celebration, says that this year’s calendrical collision was a way to enhance “Thanksgiving beyond football and a big meal.”

In our land of commercial plenty, the confluence certainly has served up a feast of merchandise. There are T-shirts saying “8 Days of Light, Liberty & Latkes” and a coffee mug picturing a turkey with nine burning tail feathers. And then there’s the ceramic menorah in the shape of a turkey—a Menurkey, created by nine-yearold Asher Weintraub of New York.

But being more of a do-it-yourselfer, I recycled an old sukkah decoration to create my own Thankgivukah centerpiece—the cornukiyah.

For the holiday cook trying to blend the two holidays’ flavors, there’s a recipe that calls for turkeys brined in Manischewitz, and I found another for cranberry latkes. But what about a replacement for the now infamous Frankenstein of Thanksgiving cuisine, the turducken?

How about a “turchitke,” a latke inside of a chicken inside of a turkey?

For Wolfson, who has largely ignored the merch and wordplay, this year simply

is an opportunity to change the script.

At his Thanksgiving dinner, he is going combine Chanukah ritual with holiday elements found on FreedomsFeast.us, a website that uses American holidays to pass on “stories, values and behaviors.”

Searching the site, I found a “Thanksgiving Service for Interfaith Gatherings” by Rabbi Jack Moline that includes a reading that also could work for Chanukah—a holiday of religious freedom—as it celebrates many of the occupations that “we can do when we are free,” including activists, writers, artists, entrepreneurs, even journalists.

For our own celebrations Wolfson, a Fingerhut professor of education at American Jewish University, wants us to consider the similarities of the stories at the heart of each holiday.

“The Pilgrims were escaping religious persecution in Europe. They did not want to be assimilated,” Wolfson says, adding that “the Maccabees were fighting against Hellenization,” another form of assimilation.

Counter to the usual “December dilemma” for the intermarried—whose numbers have increased to 58 percent since 2005, according to the recent Pew study—Wolfson noted the “opportunities and challenges” presented this year by Chanukah and Christmas not coinciding.

“We usually feel the tension between

the two holidays,” he says. “This year we can feel the compatibility of the two.”

The early Chanukah will help people to appreciate its “cultural integrity,” says Wolfson, adding that he “would not be surprised by a spike in candle lighting this year.”

But for others in the Jewish community, the pushing together of the Festival of Lights with Turkey Day has forced other changes, some unwanted.

Rabbi Steven Silver of Temple Menorah in Redondo Beach, Calif., is canceling his temple’s traditional Friday night Chanukah dinner.

“That holiday weekend will be vacation time, people will be out visiting family and friends,” he says.

“The rabbis won’t have anyone in front of them that weekend, and that’s a problem.”

Yet Silver also has found the confluence has presented an opportunity.

The day before Chanukah, his congregation is planning to attend an interfaith Thanksgiving service at a Catholic church.

“There will between 800 and 900 in attendance, from Buddhists to Sikhs, and three Jewish congregations,” Silver says.

“We are planning to bring a six-foot-high wooden menorah and symbolically light it.”

The holidays overlapping, he says, “are giving us an opportunity to show the miracle.”

(Edmon J. Rodman is a JTA columnist who writes on Jewish life from Los Angeles. Contact him at edmojace@gmail.com.)

jewishnewsva.org | Chanukah | November 25, 2013 | Jewish News | 41

The perfect Thanksgivukah mix For success on this year’s festival of oil, fry that turkey, too

by Linda Morel NEW YORK (JTA)—Several Chanukahs ago my husband came home with an electric deep fryer large enough to accommodate a 12-pound turkey. I’d heard of suburban folks frying turkeys in their garages, but because we live in a Manhattan apartment I was less than thrilled with the gigantic appliance -- which I had no room to store.

That first Chanukah, however, I acquiesced to deep frying a turkey, which turned out to be more delicious than you can imagine. The bird was moist on the inside and crisp on the outside, an achievement that anyone who has roasted a turkey can tell you is no easy feat. Surprisingly the bird didn’t taste greasy.

Better yet, the preparation time was reduced from several hours to 45 minutes.

Since then, fried turkey has become one of our most treasured holiday traditions. Of course on the first night of Chanukah, we fill four skillets with latkes.

Nothing is crunchier than grated potatoes browned in spattering oil. But on another night of this eight-day holiday, we invite a crowd and deep fry a turkey. As we light colorful Chanukah candles, our apartment fills with the scent of serious searing.

Watching the candles twinkle, our family and friends can’t wait to gobble the turkey.

Deep fried turkey is a fitting way to celebrate Chanukah, the festival of oil, because its preparation requires several gallons of oil. Of course, this year the blend is perfect for Thanksgiving and Chanukah.

But how did fried foods become entwined with Chanukah’s culinary history?

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It started more than 2,100 years ago when the Greek king of Syria, Antiochus, occupied Israel. During his reign, the Jews and their customs faired poorly. When one of his officers arrived in a town outside of Jerusalem, he demanded the Jews take part in a Greek ceremony that entailed bowing to an idol and eating pork, both of which are forbidden by Jewish law.

Outraged by such disrespect, the Maccabee family led a revolt to overthrow the occupiers. After defeating the Greek army, Judah Maccabee and his men began restoring the great Temple in Jerusalem, which lay in ruin.

Candles had not yet been invented, so specially prepared olive oil was used to light the Temple’s menorah. Finding only a one-day supply of the oil to keep the menorah burning, the Maccabees were awestruck that it lasted eight days, long enough for a new batch to be made.

This spawned the eight-day celebration of Chanukah and the custom of observing the holiday by frying foods in oil.

During the Maccabees’ time, cheese pancakes were a popular fried food. Latkes weren’t added to the Chanukah repertoire until centuries later. Jews from various countries now fry many kinds of foods, including donuts, fritters and pancakes.

My husband’s family hailed from the Jewish community of Trieste, Italy, so every Chanukah we also deep fry rice balls.

An Italian delicacy, these crunchy balls, held together with ricotta cheese, are a sensational hors d’oeuvres or side dish.

While fooling around in my kitchen, I’ve successfully fried some unexpected foods from Jewish cuisine into a whole new identity. Slices of sour pickles undergo a crusty transformation when they hit hot oil.

Chopped fish, eggs and matzah meal are usually mixed together to form patties that are simmered in broth to produce gefilte fish. But instead of boiling these large oval patties, I roll the batter into small balls and deep fry them. After one

taste, you’ll never settle for bland gefilte fish again.

Frightened by the thought of dealing with raw fish? Forget the stories about your bubbe who tackled a live karp in her bathtub every time she cooked gefilte fish. Instead, ask your fishmonger to grind the haddock, whitefish or pike you order.

From there, handling the fish batter is as easy as forming hamburger patties.

On the theory that you can fry anything, I suggest widening your Chanukah repertoire. Here are some ideas: • Submerge any kind of pitted black or green olives (but not bottled or canned) into hot oil, where they will develop a delicious pucker within a minute or two.

• If pressed for time, slide thinly sliced potatoes or florets of broccoli and cauliflower into a pot of hot oil until they turn delightfully brown. After placing them on paper towels and sprinkling with kosher salt, you’ll savor every crisp mouthful.

• Canned chickpeas can be fried into a sensational hors d’oeuvre or snack. Dry them on paper towels. Put a mixture of curry powder, cumin, flour, paprika, and a dash of cayenne pepper into a plastic storage bag. Place the chickpeas into the bag in batches, seal, and shake them until they’re coated. Deep fry them in oil, drain on paper towels, sprinkle with kosher salt, and serve them immediately.

In spite of these other delicacies, I have to admit that I wait all year for Chanukah because of the crackling texture of potato pancakes. But I find I can eat latkes for only so many days in a row before seeking other foods to fry.

SAFETY TIPS FOR STOVETOP DEEP FRYING 1. Use a deep pot or saucepan, not a skillet or frying pan. A pot that comes with a basket insert is preferable.

2. Face the pot’s handle away from the edge of the stove to reduce the chances of knocking over a pot of hot oil. If possible, place the pot of oil on a back burner.

3. To reduce the chances of spatters or oil bubbling over, do not fill the pot or saucepan with oil more than halfway.

4. Heat the oil on a medium flame. Do not raise the flame.

5. Always use a long-handled, slotted utensil to submerge or retrieve food from hot oil. Wear pot mitts when touching this utensil.

6. Never submerge frozen, ice cold or wet foods into hot oil as they may cause flare-ups.

7. To drain fried foods, lay down paper towels a reasonable distance from the flame so they do not catch fire.

8. Keep small children away from the stove when you are deep frying foods.

9. If the oil in the pot sputters or boils up, turn off the flame. Do not use that oil again.

10. When you are finished deep frying, turn off the flame and let the oil cool to room temperature before discarding it, preferably in a bottle or can with a top.

DEEP FRYING TURKEYS Getting started 1. While some people fry turkeys by rigging up garbage cans on barbecue grills or above open fires, this is a dangerous practice. A safer route is to purchase a deep fryer from a reputable company.

2. For safety sake, it is imperative to follow all instructions that accompany a deep fryer.

3. When deep frying, you must use fresh (not frozen) turkeys.

4. Use an oil with a high smoking point (preferably 450 degrees.). Aficionados recommend peanut oil as it imparts the

most marvelous flavor. However, corn oil, safflower oil and canola oil are also safe choices. With the quantity of oil required, about 2 to 4 gallons, I suggest purchasing the oil at Costco or another of the big box stores.

The brine Non-kosher turkeys must be brined before deep frying them. However, because kosher turkeys have already been salted, they should not be brined.

Ingredients ½ pound kosher salt 1 pound dark brown sugar 6 quarts of hot water 24 ice cubes 12-pound turkey Brining bag (available at Williams Sonoma) or unused tall kitchen trash bag

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Preparation 1. In a large bowl, stir salt and sugar in hot water until dissolved. Add ice cubes to cool down the brine. If it’s still warm, chill it in the refrigerator. When cooled, pour the brine into a brining bag or line a pot deep enough to hold a turkey with an unused tall kitchen trash bag. While the brining bag is stiff enough to hold its shape, the trash bag is flimsy so it must be kept inside the large pot during brining.

2. Place the turkey into the bag and seal it. To keep the turkey submerged, cover the outside of the bag with weights, such as unopened cans of food. Do not brine the turkey in the deep fryer.

Refrigerate for 8 to 16 hours.

3. Thoroughly rinse off the brine before deep frying the turkey. Pat the turkey dry completely with paper towels because water can cause a flare up when exposed to hot oil.

4. Before deep frying the turkey, follow the manufacturer’s instructions for technique, timing, and amount of oil needed. continued on page 44

jewishnewsva.org | Chanukah | November 25, 2013 | Jewish News | 43

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continued from page 43

DEEP FRIED GEFILTE FISH BALLS Ingredients 1 cup breadcrumbs, or more, if needed 1 pound haddock, ground 1 egg beaten 1 small onion, chopped fine 1½ teaspoons granulated salt ¼ teaspoon white pepper ½ cup flour 1 teaspoon dill, chopped ½ teaspoon sugar 1 quart corn oil, or more if needed Kosher salt for sprinkling Red horseradish, optional as an accompaniment

(No orders accepted after November 25)

Preparation 1. Place breadcrumbs on a plate and reserve.

2. In a large bowl, mix together until well

From our family to yours, Teri and I wish you a Happy and Peaceful Hanukkah.

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44 | Jewish News | November 25, 2013 | Chanukah | jewishnewsva.org

incorporated haddock, egg, onion, granulated salt, white pepper, flour, dill, and sugar. If mixture is too liquid to hold together, slowly add more flour until mixture is pasty.

3. Because mixture is sticky, you should wet hands with water often while forming balls or else mixture will be difficult to handle. Place a clump of the mixture in your wet palms and roll it into a ball 1-inch in diameter. Roll well to form a tight ball that won’t fall apart while frying.

4. Roll ball in breadcrumbs until coated all around. Shake off excess breadcrumbs and place on a clean platter. Continue until all batter has been rolled into balls and covered with breadcrumbs.

5. Pour corn oil to a depth of 3 inches in a medium-sized deep saucepan. Heat corn oil on a medium flame to 375 degrees on an oil and candy thermometer, or until a drop of water sizzles in the oil.

Blessings be with you this festival of lights and always 6. Using a long handled slotted spoon, place a few balls at a time in the oil. Fry for 3 minutes, rolling balls occasionally, until they are dark brown on all sides.

Move balls to a plate covered with paper towels and drain them momentarily.

Serve immediately with horseradish, if desired.

BEER BATTER DEEP FRIED SOUR PICKLES Ingredients 2 or 3 sour or half sour pickles, sliced 1/8inch thick. Discard ends and tiny pieces. ¼ cup flour 1 egg 1 cup beer 2 teaspoons baking powder 1 cup panko, Japanese-style breadcrumbs.

Can be purchased in most supermarkets, many gourmet food stores, and Asian groceries.

1 quart corn oil, or more, if needed Preparation 1. Drain pickle slices on both sides on paper towels. Place flour on a plate and roll slices in flour.

2. Place corn oil to a depth of 3 inches in a medium sized deep saucepan. Heat oil on a medium flame to 375 degrees F on an oil and candy thermometer, or until a drop of water sizzles in oil.

3. U sing an electric mixer, whisk together egg, beer, and baking powder. Add panko and blend until well incorporated.

4. Immediately dip floured pickle slices into batter. Let excess drip off. Using a long handled slotted utensil, submerge a few slices into the oil. Fry for 2 to 3

minutes, or until batter puffs and turns crunchy. Remove slices with long-handled utensil and drain on paper towels.

Serve immediately.

Yield: Approximately 30–40 pickle slices

Happy Chanukah

FRIED RICE BALLS ITALIAN-STYLE Ingredients 1 egg 2 cups of cooked rice of any kind 1 tablespoon flour 3 tablespoons ricotta cheese 3 tablespoons olive oil, or more, if needed Preparation 1. Beat egg in a large bowl. Add the cooked rice. Stir to blend. Add the flour and ricotta cheese. Blend until well combined.

2. With your fingers, form rice mixture into balls 1 inch in diameter. Your hands will be sticky, but manipulate rice mixture until you form perfect tight spheres or they will fall apart while frying.

3. Cover a cookie sheet with aluminum foil. Place balls on the foil. Cover balls with plastic wrap and refrigerate them for 1 hour, or until they are firm.

4. Place olive oil in a large skillet, rolling it around until bottom surface is well oiled. Place as many rice balls as will fit comfortably in the skillet, leaving room to turn the balls with a wooden or plastic spoon. When bottom of balls brown, roll them around until another surface browns. Continue frying until balls are completely brown all around.

With a long-handled slotted spoon, move balls to a plated line with paper towels. Continue frying until all balls are crunchy and brown. Serve immediately.

Yield: 20 rice balls

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Warm Wishes for a Happy Chanukah jewishnewsva.org | Chanukah | November 25, 2013 | Jewish News | 45

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46 | Jewish News | November 25, 2013 | Chanukah | jewishnewsva.org

athan Fink, a starving pharmacist in the midst of the Great Depression, began pushing a jewelry cart around the streets of downtown Roanoke selling jewelry on credit. As his popularity increased, so did his need for a permanent storefront. Thus, the first Fink’s Jewelers location opened in 1930, priding itself on selling the “finest quality branded merchandise in America” according to its advertisements. Fink’s carried everything from Samsonite luggage to Sunbeam kitchen appliances.

By the end of WWII, Fink’s was a family business with the addition of Nathan’s son, Alvin, who expanded the business into six more communities. After Nathan died in 1960, Alvin turned the store’s focus to fine jewelry and watches. Continuing in the family tradition, Alvin’s son, Marc joined the company.

Now, in 2013, after 83 years, Fink’s is one of the “Top 50” jewelers in the nation with 15 stores in 10 cities throughout Virginia and North Carolina that feature some of the finest jewelry designers and quality pieces available. While the company has a reputation for its beautiful stores, its website makes it easy to shop from anywhere anytime.

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jewishnewsva.org | Chanukah | November 25, 2013 | Jewish News | 47

48 | Jewish News | November 25, 2013 | Chanukah | jewishnewsva.org