A Hanukkah Message from Rabbi Louis J. Sachs
Ha nteresting holiday, and there is some confusion about wh mitzvah of it is. On Sukkot we wave the lulav and gather together in the sukkah. On Pesah we sit down at the seder and abstain from leavened bread. But Hanukkah, comes with a wide variety of practices which can make it easy to forget what the commandment of the holiday actually is.
Dreidels are fun to play with, and so is eating sufganyot or latkes, but all of these are customs. They help us to re-tell the story of how our ancestors bravely continued to learn Torah in secret, and remind us of the miracle of the oil. Despite all that, the actual commandment of Hanukkah is fulfilled by lighting the hanukiah each night. But there is still another step.
We are not supposed to light it simply on our kitchen tables or a shelf in the living room, we are meant to place the hanukiah in a window so that people can see. The reason being that, pirsumei nisa, or publicizing the miracle,” is the actual mitzvah of Hanukkah. It is not enough to light the candles in remembrance of the miracle in private, we must do it so that others will see it and know the story.
This is a really interesting act when you think about it; no other commandment requires that others witness it, but this one does because the whole point of the holiday is not simply to celebrate that we were saved from destruction, but to remind the world of it. The Greeks tried to break us, they tried to destroy us, but here we are!
In light of recent tragedies in Jewish communities around the world, this commandment feels incredibly relevant this year- reminding the world that we are here; we are Jewish and proud to be. This task goes beyond just lighting and placing a hanukiah in the window, it means rededicating ourselves to Jewish values and practices. Hanukkah means rededication, and so it an appropriate time to rededicate ourselves to our spiritual inheritance.
In light of recent tragedies in Jewish communities around the world, this commandment feels incredibly relevant this year- reminding the world that we are here; we are Jewish and proud to be. This task goes beyond just lighting and placing a hanukiah in the window, it means rededicating ourselves to Jewish values and practices. Hanukkah means rededication, and so it an appropriate time to rededicate ourselves to our spiritual inheritance.
As we shift into Winter and the days become increasingly shorter, it is important to have a holiday of light, a celebration which reminds us to see the light in the darkness. It can be easy to fall into thinking of darkness as a thing on its own, but the truth is that darkness is simply the absence of light. The tiny flames on our hanukiah can remind us that it takes just a little bit of light to push away a whole lot of darkness.
The same lesson holds true when it comes to the non-physical darkness we see in the world today. A simple smile, a small act of tzedakah, or kind word, can all go along way towards making the world a brighter place.
This Hanukkah, as we light the flames to remind the world that the Jewish people live on, let them serve as a reminder to us of own responsibility. As the prophet Isaiah declared, the Jewish people should serve as “ a light unto the nations.” Let us all remember to be a light, to banish darkness with acts of love and hesed. Let us all remember our sacred task, and stand firm in it before the world. Let us be the light!
From myself, Lauren, and Lillie – Hanukkah Sameach! May your homes and hearts be filled with Light this year!
Prep
Cook Time: 20 mins Cook Time: 20 mins
Total
Ingredients: large sweet potato, Ingredients: large sweet potato, peeled and grated, ½ onion, peeled and grated, ½ onion, grated, 2 eggs, grated, 2 eggs, ¼ teaspoon black pepper, ¼ teaspoon black pepper, 2 teaspoons olive oil, or more if 2 teaspoons olive oil, or more if needed, ½ teaspoon salt, needed, ½ teaspoon salt, 1 cup applesauce, 1 cup plain 1 cup applesauce, 1 cup plain non-fat yogurt non-fat yogurt
Preheat oven to 200 degrees F (95 Preheat oven to 200 degrees F (95 degrees C). degrees C)
Line a baking sheet with paper Line a baking sheet with paper ttowels. owels.
Fill a bowl with lightly-salted water. Fill a bowl with lightly-salted water. Rinse the grated sweet potato in the Rinse the grated sweet potato in the water, and drain into a sieve water, and drain into a sieve.
Pat the grated sweet potato dry with Pat the grated sweet potato dry with a cloth or paper towels, then place a cloth or paper towels, then place into a bowl. into a bowl.
Squeeze excess moisture from the Squeeze excess moisture from the grated onion, and place into the bowl grated onion, and place into the bowl with the sweet potato with the sweet potato. Stir the eggs and pepper into the Stir the eggs and pepper into the mixture until well combined. mixture until well combined. Heat the olive oil in a nonstick skillet Heat the olive oil in a nonstick skillet over medium heat until it shimmers, over medium heat until it shimmers, and spoon about 1 heaping and spoon about 1 heaping tablespoon of the potato mixture per tablespoon of the potato mixture per patty into the hot oil. Flatten the patty into the hot oil Flatten the patties with a fork, and fry until patties with a fork, and fry until golden brown and crisp on the golden brown and crisp on the bottom, 5 to 8 minutes. bottom, 5 to 8 minutes. Flip and cook on the other side, Flip and cook on the other side, sprinkle with salt, then set the sprinkle with salt, then set the cooked patties aside on the prepared cooked patties aside on the prepared baking sheet in the preheated oven baking sheet in the preheated oven while you finish cooking the latkes. while you finish cooking the latkes. Stir the potato mixture before Stir the potato mixture before cooking each batch of patties. cooking each batch of patties. Serve hot with applesauce and Serve hot with applesauce and yogurt. yogurt
Push a pretzel into the flat side of the Push a pretzel into the flat side of marshmallow, sticking it in as far as you can marshmallow, sticking it in as far as you can without puncturing the opposite side without puncturing the opposite side.
Next, spread a small amount of Nutella or Next, spread a small amount of Nutella or frosting onto the base of a chocolate kiss. Use frosting onto the base of a chocolate kiss Use the Nutella as “glue” to attach the kiss to the the Nutella as “glue” to attach the kiss to the flat end of the marshmallow flat end of the marshmallow.
At this point, you can use cake decorating gel to At this point, you can use cake decorating gel to write one of the four Hebrew dreidel letters onto write one of the four Hebrew dreidel letters onto the surface of the marshmallow… Nun, Hey, the surface of the marshmallow Nun, Hey, Gimel, Shin. These letters stand for the Hebrew Gimel, Shin These letters stand for the Hebrew phrase, Nes Gadol Haya Sham– which means “A phrase, Nes Gadol Haya Sham– which means “A great miracle happened there” great miracle happened there.”
If you want to add a candy coating to your If you want to add a candy coating to your dreidel instead of the letters, make sure your dreidel instead of the letters, make sure your marshmallow dreidels are prepped and ready to marshmallow dreidels are prepped and ready to go before you start working with the chocolate. go before you start working with the chocolate
You will need to work quickly while the You will need to work quickly while chocolate is soft Place the dreidels on a cookie chocolate is soft. Place the dreidels a sheet lined with parchment paper, with at least sheet lined with parchment paper, with at least an inch or two in between each dreidel an inch or two in between each dreidel
Once it’s melted, transfer the melted candy Once it’s melted, transfer the melted candy coating to a cool bowl. Working quickly, dip coating to a cool bowl Working quickly, dip your dreidels one-at-a-time into the coating and your dreidels one-at-a-time into the coating and roll them until the surface is evenly covered roll them until the surface is evenly covered.
As you dip the dreidels, make sure you don’t As you dip the dreidels, make sure you don’t leave them in the hot candy coating for longer leave them in the hot candy coating for longer than a few seconds at a time. If you leave it than a few seconds at a time If you leave it longer, the Hershey kiss will melt and you’ll have longer, the Hershey kiss will melt and you’ll have a flat-bottomed dreidel a flat-bottomed dreidel.
Pull the dreidel out of the coating and hold it Pull the dreidel out of the coating and hold it over the bowl, point side facing downward, for a over the bowl, point side facing downward, for a few seconds to get rid of excess drips. few seconds to get rid of excess drips
Place it on the parchment-lined cookie sheet Place it the parchment-lined cookie sheet and coat immediately with sprinkles and coat immediately with sprinkles. Once all of your dreidels are coated, let them dry Once all of your dreidels are coated, let them dry for 15-20 minutes until the candy coating has for 15-20 minutes until the candy coating has set. A slight “puddle” will form underneath each set A slight “puddle” will form underneath each dreidel, so it won’t look perfect but that’s not dreidel, so it won’t look perfect but that’s not the point It will still look dreidel-ish, and it will the point. It will still look dreidel-ish, and it will taste yummy! Have fun! taste yummy! Have fun!
We have our Hanukkah games night on December 17th We have our Hanukkah games night on December 17th from 7:00 to 9:00 p.m. from 7:00 to 9:00 p.m.
Followed by another PUB NIGHT this January! Followed by another PUB NIGHT this January!
Being a young adult myself, I'm so excited to continue building this programming at Beth Torah, as I am aware there is often a lack of opportunities in the city for people in our age group. Please email me any suggestions for 20s and 30s programming you would be interested in at program@bethtorah.ca!
-Garrett, Programming & Communications, Beth Torah
It has been such a fun last few months with our Beth Torah kids programming, from the Rosh Hashana, Yom Kippur, Sukkot, and Simchat Torah to our B'Mitvah programs to our partnerships with other organizations. Here are some highlights!Beth Torah joined ECRUSY for a night at the aquarium! Kiddush in the Sukkah for our children's Sukkot program!
Our first B'Mitzvah session with a special lesson led by Rabbi Sachs
B'Mitzvah latke making day with families at Beth Torah!
Starting in January, Beth Torah will be launching regular Shabbat
Starting in January, Beth Torah will be launching regular Shabbat morning programming! morning programming!
Stay tuned and join us for tefillah, games, storytelling, learning, Stay tuned and join us for tefillah, games, storytelling, learning, snacks, sports, and so much more! snacks, sports, and so much more!
The full schedule will be released to families shortly. The full schedule will be released to families shortly.
