DECEMBER 2020 | KISLEV/TEVET 5781
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5 Chanukah food hacks to make your holiday dinner easy and delicious
By Lauren Manaker Kveller As the Festival of Lights approaches, you might be frying latkes and making applesauce in your dreams. The food is delicious, and everyone is
content and full, and above all, the meal is mess and stress-free. Then reality sets in: You are seriously so busy this time of year! While you may want to instill some tasty Jewish
traditions in your family, do you really have time to shred a few bags of potatoes, or knead some finicky sufganiyot dough? Thankfully, this is 2020 and not 1920. These days, our grocery store shelves are stocked with convenience foods, so use them to your advantage! If you know what to do, it’s super easy to make a delicious, “semihomemade” Chanukah meal that will still create lasting memories. Read on for our top Chanukah food hacks — they’re kind of like having your sufganiyot and eating it, too. For easy latkes, use pre-shredded hash brown potatoes. No Chanukah celebration
is complete without latkes, but the prep work can be extremely time consuming, tedious and possibly a bit dangerous (especially if you have little helpers in the kitchen). But here’s some good news: It’s possible to have tasty without having bloody knuckles. Refrigerated and bagged shredded potatoes make frying up latkes a snap! Just swap out fresh taters with the bagged alternative in whatever recipe you use, and most people won’t even taste the difference. Pro tip: If you are trying to sneak in more veggies and/ or have low-carb guests to entertain, try cauliflower latkes using pre-riced cauliflower instead of potatoes. Make zero-effort homemade applesauce in an Instant. Yes, you could just buy some jarred applesauce. But does anyone with teeth (and, um taste buds) actually like the stuff? If you have an Instant Pot — or any pressure cooker — you can make homemade applesauce in a flash! Just toss eight peeled, cored and chopped apples into the pressure cooker with 1 cup of water, juice from ½ a lemon and cinnamon to taste. After the lid is secure and the mixture is cooked on high pressure for 8 minutes, mash up your apples to the consistency of your desire. Of course, you have to then make the most important decision: chunky or smooth? Pro tip: Put an apple peeler on your Chanukah wish list to help make the prep even easier! Use pre-packaged biscuit dough for the easiest sufganiyot ever. Kids generally love making treats like sufganiyot in the kitchen with their family. But if you’re generally not the type who enjoys baking, there’s a hack for that: Use refrigerated biscuit dough — the kind that comes in a tube — instead. (Just don’t tell Bubbie!) Simply break apart the pre-portioned dough and fry the biscuits in heated oil until golden on both sides. Amazingly, you don’t even have to cut circles. The biscuits come pre-sliced! How perfect is that? If you happen to have a pastry bag in your kitchen, fill it with your favorite jarred jelly and push the tip into the middle of the donut. Squeeze the jelly into the doughnut until it is filled with enough sweetness to make your dentist cringe.
2 DECEMBER 2020 | HAKOL LEHIGH VALLEY | HAPPY CHANUKAH
If you don’t have a pastry bag, you have a couple of options: You can cut your donuts in half and put some jelly in the middle of the pastry, like a sandwich, or simply serve jelly as an accompaniment to the fried biscuit for dipping. Pro-tip: Not sweet enough for you? You can also sprinkle some sugar and cinnamon on top of the warm doughnut to add a little more oomph if you wish! Let your slow cooker make the main dish. How exactly do you cook a big brisket dinner while also fulfilling all of your daily (as well as holiday-specific) obligations? By using a slow cooker, of course! This ultimate “set it and forget it” tool allows you to cook, slow and low, tough cuts of meat like brisket without any worries about overcooking. Even better? About 10 minutes of effort will reward you with a super-tasty result. Just toss a brisket (fat side up) in a slow cooker with some cans of broth, sliced onions, carrots, garlic, and spices. Cook the dish on the high setting of the cooker for about 6 hours, or until tender. That’s it! Serve your brisket with latkes and a salad, and your dinner is complete. Pro-tip: For an easy-peasy but delightful serving option, slice up the cooked brisket and make it fancy-looking with some sprigs of fresh parsley. Fancy up store-bought hummus for an effortless appetizer. First things first: You can absolutely take a package of store-bought hummus, serve it in its original packaging with some store-bought crackers, and that’s that. We won’t judge! But why not add some color and flavor to an otherwise standard app? Take your container of ho-hum hummus and spread it onto a shallow bowl. Scoop a small space into the middle of the hummus, and top the dip with extra virgin olive oil, fresh rosemary leaves, crushed pistachios and pomegranate arils. If you have the time or inclination, you can include some roasted, diced butternut squash as a topping for some extra color. Or add whatever floats your boat! The decorative additions will hide the fact that you didn’t make the hummus from scratch. Pro-tip: Think beyond pita! Try serving the hummus with fresh veggies or pretzels. Anything dippable will do!
PJ@Home has everything you need to celebrate Hanukkah
Michael Solomonov to showcase Chanukah menu
On Sunday, Dec. 6, families are invited to celebrate Hanukkah with PJ@Home. We’ve got everything you need to celebrate Hanukkah all in one ready-to-go kit. Register in advance and pick up your Hanukkah kit at the JCC of the Lehigh Valley on that day from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. Then, join us via Zoom at 3 p.m. to listen to the PJ Library book “Hanukkah Bear” by Erik A. Kimmel, sing songs, play dreidel and do a menorah craft. And keep your calendar empty on Saturday, Jan. 9, as PJ@Home celebrates a Shabbat Havdalah together. Register by Jan. 3 for another free kit to participate in the program at 6 p.m. via Zoom. Count the stars, sing songs, light the Havdalah candle and recite the Havdalah blessing over juice as we say goodbye to Shabbat. Pick up your Havdalah kit at the JCC on Thursday, Jan. 7, from 3:30 to 5 p.m.
When Chef Michael Solomonov of Zahav returns to the small screen on Dec. 2 at 8 p.m. for a Chanukah cooking demonstration, he will be borrowing a renowned recipe from another famed Philadelphia restaurant. Solomonov, a James Beard award winner, will show viewers how to make Abe Fisher’s potato latkes. He will also be making apple shrub, roman artichokes with arugula and olive oil, poached salmon and sfenj (Moroccan doughnuts) with cinnamon and sugar. But here’s a sneak peak at the latke recipe:
To sign up, visit jewishlehighvalley.org/pjathome.
By Stephanie Smartschan JFLV Director of Community Development and Operations
Abe Fisher’s Potato Latkes Makes 10-12 latkes INGREDIENTS 8 large Idaho potatoes, peeled 2 large eggs 1 Tbsp. Kosher salt 1⁄3 cup all-purpose flour Vegetable oil for frying Chives to garnish TO PREPARE • Warm 1⁄2 cup of oil over medium heat in a large skillet. • While the pan is pre-heating,
crack the eggs into a large mixing bowl. • Using a box grater or a food processor grating disc, grate the potatoes and add to the eggs. • Add the flour and salt and mix the dry ingredients into the wet, working quickly to prevent the potato from oxidizing. • Using a small ice cream scoop or two spoons, drop golf ballsized spoonfuls of potatoes into the hot oil, pressing down gently with a spatula to flatten into pancakes. • Turn the heat down to medium. Be careful not to overcrowd the pan.
• Fry for approximately 10 minutes on each side, or until the exterior is golden brown and the interior is cooked through. • Place the latkes on a cooling rack to let drain. • Continue with the remaining mixture, adding additional oil to the pan as necessary. • Garnish with chive. This program is provided to the Lehigh Valley Jewish community as a Chanukah gift from the Jewish Federation. To register and receive the rest of the recipes, the Vimeo link and password, visit www. jewishlehighvalley.org/cooking.
From the Board & Staff of the Jewish Federation of the Lehigh Valley GARY FROMER President
JERI ZIMMERMAN Executive Director
HAPPY CHANUKAH | HAKOL LEHIGH VALLEY | DECEMBER 2020 3
Chanukah at the JDS!
Chanukah is always a special time at the JDS, and this year will be no different. Instead of celebrating like we have in the past with schoolwide and community festivities, we are introducing a new “dreidel spin” on the holiday: the First Annual JDS Chanukah Color War! Starting on the first day of the holiday, we will announce the breakout of the competition which will run all the way through the end of Chanukah. Our two
teams—colors and names to be revealed—will earn points in each grade for projects and games full of Maccabees, menorahs, dreidels and latkes throughout the week. Our teams will be making posters for their Chanukah-themed team and participating in different holiday sports challenges. We’ll see how many bowling pin “candles” we can knock down and if we can get the soccer ball “oil” into the “Temple” net! Students will also be
decking themselves out in their color finery for a fashion show and twirling like a sivivon (dreidel), competing in a Chanukah-themed obstacle course (watch out for those Roman soldiers!), and earning coveted points in a holiday Kahoot! trivia game, among other great activities. There’s no telling which team will prevail, but one thing is for sure: everyone will have fun, and Chanukah will be more exciting (and socially-distanced) than ever!
Lacy latkes with chive crème fraîche BY SANDI TEPLITZ
INGREDIENTS AND TECHNIQUE FOR TOPPING: 1 cup heavy cream 2 Tbsp. buttermilk Mix the two ingredients together in a large jar. Shake it up. Screw on a top and allow to stay at room temperature overnight. Then shake again and chill. INGREDIENTS FOR LATKES: 2 lbs. coarsely grated unpeeled red
Mazel Meals continues to brighten Chanukah for older adults
potatoes 1 Vidalia onion, coarsely grated 1 cup coarsely grated French Gruyère cheese 1 extra large cage-free egg, beaten 1 tsp. chopped fresh chives salt and pepper, to taste vegetable oil
TECHNIQUE: Squeeze moisture from the onion and potatoes. Mix all the other ingredients together, except oil. Form into two dozen patties, then fry on both sides till crisp. Drain on paper towels. Take the reserved crème fraîche from the refrigerator and add a Tbsp. fresh chives, cut up, plus 1/2 lime, grated. Spoon liberally over the warm latkes.
Mazel Meals is a signature program of Jewish Family Service of the Lehigh Valley. Alongside staff, volunteers and catering partners work together to prepare and deliver homemade Kosher meals to 45 clients across the Lehigh Valley once a month. These meals oftentimes reflect Jewish holiday staples, as well as other favorites. After JFS temporarily closed its doors in March due to restrictions related to the Coronavirus pandemic, they began to think creatively about how to reimagine Mazel Meals in a way that would be safe for their staff, volunteers and clients. In April, they partnered with Chabad to deliver soup and challah to a small number of clients. “And then we stepped back, and we evaluated how that went, and it went very well. We received many messages of appreciation from our clients,” said Carol Wilson, program manager and community liaison for older adults for JFS. After a successful go, in May, the number of meals delivered grew again. By June, they were back to their full cohort of Mazel Meal deliveries with a 20% increase in recipients. Realizing the importance of these meals, JFS has increased its funding of the program to now provide two fully prepared meals with each delivery. “One of the most beloved parts of the Mazel Meal program is that typically, in non-COVID times, we partner with community synagogues and community organizations and we cook together. But right now, that’s just not possible,” Wilson continued. Since the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, JFS has been partnering with caterers across the Lehigh Valley. Together, they carefully plan the menus, and then the caterers cook and safely package all of the Mazel Meals. From there, JFS Volunteers fan out across the Lehigh Valley to deliver the meals to their clients. This year for Chanukah, JFS has a treat in store for their clients. They will receive a meal consisting of homemade latkes, herb roasted chicken, a green vegetable, Chanukah cookies and more. “I try to think about ‘what would I serve you if you came to my house for dinner?’ And that’s what we think about when we prepare these meals for our clients,” said Wilson. In addition to this delicious meal, JFS is bringing holiday cheer to our community’s older adults in another way. In lieu of in-person events with Eva Derby, who often volunteers to travel to assisted living residences to share a fun and educational program at Jewish holidays, JFS will be sharing a Chanukah video program with these residents. The video will include songs, the story of Chanukah and a story from Derby. To learn more about the Mazel Meals program, visit www.jfslv.org/ volunteer/mazel-meals.
4 DECEMBER 2020 | HAKOL LEHIGH VALLEY | HAPPY CHANUKAH
JEWISH SOLDIERS PROJECT
Volunteers send Chanukah cards to Jewish soldiers at home and abroad
By Bayley Carl JFLV Marketing & Engagement Associate This year, members of the Jewish Community Center of the Lehigh Valley, Temple Beth El and surrounding synagogues and religious schools participated in a program called the Jewish Soldiers Project. The Jewish Soldiers Project sends Chanukah cards to Jewish soldiers at home and abroad.
For the past 14 years, the Jewish Soldiers Project has sent Chanukah cards and care packages to soldiers serving around the world and across the United States. In 2019, they sent more than 2,500 cards from 50 schools in more than 25 states to soldiers all across the globe. Schools from Portland, Oregon, to Los Angeles, California, to Boca Raton, Florida, participated. Every fall, Judge Keith Freedman, founder of this
project, reaches out to schools and synagogues across the U.S. to encourage them to participate in this project. Then, community leaders such as Allentown’s Alicia Zahn reach out to local synagogues and religious schools, and ask them to make cards for soldiers. “I wanted to reach as many people as possible, so I also posted in the PJ Library Families of the Lehigh Valley Facebook group. We got a great response and hope to get a better one next year,” said Zahn. “In addition to cards, if the families want to make baked goods or put together their own care packages (as many families have in the past), that would be greatly appreciated,” Freedman added. After collecting the cards, he makes sure to send them out before Thanksgiving, so the soldiers will receive them in plenty of time for the holidays. If your school or organization wants to participate in the program next year, please email jewishsoldiersproject@ gmail.com.
JCC offers Hanukkah fun for all ages this year The holiday season is in full swing at the Jewish Community Center of the Lehigh Valley. All throughout the month of December, they have opportunities for children and adults of all ages to celebrate Hanukkah. For the next few weeks, Morah Ally WienerAvraham will be having Hanukkah-themed Monday Mornings with Morah Ally! This will be a "mommy and me" style program on Monday mornings at 9 a.m. at the JCC. The JCC will also have a Hanukkah family Shabbat party via Zoom and Facebook live on Friday, Dec. 11 at 9:30 a.m. They will hold a socially distant outdoor candle lighting on Sunday, Dec. 13, at 5 p.m. Adults can get ready for their big event, Mix It Up: Hanukkah Style, on Saturday, Dec. 12 at 8 p.m. Attendees will be able to learn how to craft Hanukkah style cocktails like a pro! Mixology guru Matt Feehan will lead participants through an interactive demonstration, answer questions and suggest pairings to go with your favorite Hanukkah foods. Those interested in attending Mix it Up: Hanukkah Style should register soon, because this interactive event is limited to the first 100 on Zoom. Cocktail kits, complete with Faber Vodka, custom JCC cocktail shaker and ingredients for your drinks, are available to the first 50 households to register. For more information about all of these events, you can visit www.lvjcc.org.
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HAPPY CHANUKAH | HAKOL LEHIGH VALLEY | DECEMBER 2020 5
Eight fun ways to incorporate Jewish values into your family’s Chanukah
Book Review: ‘The Ninth Night of Hanukkah’
4. Bal Tashchit: Not wasting DISCUSS: The Jewish concept of bal tashchit means to not destroy, or to not be wasteful of our natural resources. Sometimes we waste water, energy, paper, food or toys. Discuss the three Rs with your kids: “How can we reduce, reuse, and recycle during our Chanukah celebration — and beyond?” DO: Make little signs to remember to turn off water and lights. Create a paper recycling box. If your child receives a gift they don’t like or won’t really use? Discuss “re-gifting” – giving the gift to another child who might enjoy it. By Sheryl Haft Kveller For Jewish children, the excitement of Chanukah is often connected to the promise of receiving gifts. For parents, however, some of us wonder: What messages are we imparting to our children during this time of year? Framing your Festival of Lights around one of these eight core Jewish values on each of the eight nights of Chanukah taught through games and activities while enjoying quality time together can bring special, long-lasting meaning to your Chanukah traditions. At the same time, they can inspire your child to be a kind and thoughtful person — in other words, a mensch. What better gift is there than that? 1. Hachnasat Orhim: Welcoming guests DISCUSS: Offering a guest food, company and welcoming words teaches kindness and helps creates a community that cares for one another. DO: Pretend you are the guest and your child is the host. “What will you do when guests arrive at the front door?” Decide on a warm greeting, such as “Happy Chanukah!” Act out other ways to be hospitable, such as taking a coat, carrying a bag or offering food and drink. 2. Haver Tov: Being a good friend DISCUSS: Jewish tradition teaches the value of friendship. As it says in Ecclesiastes: “Two people are better off than one, for they can help each other succeed. If one person falls, the other can reach out and help. But someone who falls alone is in real trouble.” DO: Discuss what it means to be a “good friend.” Which toy or book might your child share? 3. Bikkur Holim: Visiting those who are sick DISCUSS: Visiting a person who is sick or in pain teaches compassion and appreciation of one’s own health. Recall when your child may have been ill and how the care of others helped them feel better. “Is there someone we know who might be sick, or old, or lonely? What might make that person feel better?” DO: Plan to lift the spirit’s of a person is not well. You and your child can cook and deliver a meal, call or Zoom to wish that someone a “Happy Chanukah!” or make and send a get well card.
5. Hakarat HaTov: Expressing thanks DISCUSS: Hakarat haTov encourages gratitude by reminding us to “recognize the good” all around us. Acknowledging what we have to be thankful for, especially beyond material possessions, can help a child feel grounded, grateful and happy. DO: Make a game of the Jewish tradition of finding 100 blessings in each day. See how many “blessings” you and your child can find — they can be as simple as the sun, eyesight or a warm bowl of soup. 6. Hesed: Showing kindness DISCUSS: Practicing loving-kindness is a primary ethical value of Judaism, which demands action. It encourages our children to give of themselves with love and compassion and to become thoughtful, giving members of their communities. Discuss with your kids the things we can do to be kind to someone else. DO: On a night of Chanukah, commit to good deeds for a friend, family member, or neighbor, such as helping an older person with a chore or walking a neighbor’s dog. 7. Tzedakah: To give charitably DISCUSS: Tzedakah means that resources such as food, clothing and shelter are shared with others who may be in need. It often implies gifts of money, but giving of one’s time, expertise or even a friendly smile are all forms of tzedakah. Modeling charitable giving can help kids feel that, even in small ways, they can be helpful to others. DO: Ask: What can our family give for tzedakah? When preparing for Chanukah and visiting the grocery store, you can purchase extra boxes or cans of food and deliver them to a food pantry. For an older child, you can give a gift card from an organization such as GlobalGiving or Changing the Present, which will allow your child to learn about and connect to a cause that they care about. 8. Tikkun Olam: Repairing our world DISCUSS: In the Jewish tradition of “healing the world,” what can your child and family do to help fix what is wrong with the world? Discuss issues related to the environment and humankind such as homelessness and hunger. DO: Lead a coat drive. Participate in a park cleanup. Help start a community garden. Activist activities like these will empower your child and family to help repair the world.
By Sean Boyle Special to HAKOL Award-winning author Erica Perl’s latest picture book, “The Ninth Night of Hanukkah,” illustrated by Shahar Kober, introduces readers to a new Hanukkah tradition that Perl started at her synagogue. A ninth night that is dedicated to honoring the Shamash candle and all the helpers in our lives. Max and Rachel’s family move into a new apartment, and their parents are unable to find the box containing everything needed to celebrate on the first night of Hanukkah. Each day as they continue to look for the missing box, Max and Rachel become creative with recreating missing items by asking different neighbors for help, but it just doesn’t feel like Hanukkah. Max and Rachel come up with an idea and invite everyone from the apartment building for a ninth night recognizing the help they gave. A surprise visitor also
comes and helps it to finally feel like Hanukkah. Erica Perl’s daughter, years ago, asked why the Shamash was never recognized with a night of its own after working so hard for eight nights. This led to Perl working with her rabbis to start a tradition that honors the Shamash, as well as real-life helpers in our daily lives. Perl includes a page of several ways that she and her congregation, Temple Micah, in Washington, D.C., have used to host a “Shamash Night.” Perl also offers on her website several more resources for free, bit. ly/9thNightHanukkah. Including a packet to use when hosting a local “Shamash Night” that includes invitations, ideas on how to involve the public, activities and a blessing written by her rabbis. Perl also asks for people to share their “Shamash Night” activities using the #ShamashNight in their social media posts. Since it is still 2020, there are even recommendations on how to hold it over Zoom. Shahar Kober is an awardwinning artist living in Kiryat Tivon, Israel. He has illustrated over 40 children’s books, and his artwork has been published in France, Germany, the UK, South Korea, Singapore, Australia and Russia. Kober also provides illustrations used in the “Shamash Night” event kit as well as the artwork on the thank you cards, invitations, banners and posters all available on Perl’s website for free. Highly recommended for ages 3-120, especially for those looking at ways to recognize and thank the essential workers and other helpers of 2020. Sean Boyle is a past JDS librarian and is now serving as president of the Schools, Synagogues, Centers, and Public Libraries Division of the Association of Jewish Libraries. The Ninth Night of Hanukkah (Perl, Erica, & Kober, Shahar, New York, Sterling Children's Books, 2020, 40p.)
6 DECEMBER 2020 | HAKOL LEHIGH VALLEY | HAPPY CHANUKAH
From llamas to a Jewish superhero, these 8 children’s books bring new characters into the Hanukkah story By Penny Schwartz Jewish Telegraphic Agency Move over, Maccabees. This season’s crop of seven new Hanukkah books for kids puts the spotlight on new heroes, from playful llamas to brave and kind knights on horseback. An eighth book, “Honey on the Page,” that shines light on Yiddish children’s stories in new translation, makes a perfect family gift. Among this year’s highlights is Arthur A. Levine’s “The Hanukkah Magic of Nate Gadol,” a superhero story that comes to life with Kevin Hawkes’ sparkling illustrations. Over the years, as a leading children’s book editor, scores of Hanukkah books crossed Levine’s desk, but many were retellings of the same story. “Only a few writers … were telling imaginary tales that took Hanukkah as a jumping-off point,” he wrote in an email. Nate Gadol is the kind of story he longed for, that enhances the cherished Hanukkah traditions with an aura of magic. This year, as the COVID-19 pandemic prevents families from celebrating Hanukkah with large festive gatherings, round up the cousins on Zoom, light the menorah, nibble on sufganiyot and share in the joy of a new book. “The Hanukkah Magic of Nate Gadol” Arthur A. Levine; illustrated by Kevin Hawkes Candlewick Press; ages 5-8 Just when the world needs a dose of magic, along comes Nate Gadol, a Jewish mythical superhero who sparks joy for those in need. In Levine’s warm-hearted tale, embellished with Hawkes’ glorious art, the larger-than-life Nate Gadol swoops in to brighten the lives of the Glaser family, poor but kind new immigrants. In the cold winter of 1881 in their urban American apartment, the Glasers stretch what they have to help their neighbors, the O’Malleys. When Hanukkah and Christmas coincide, Nate and Santa help each other out and
surprise both families with gifts. The hero’s name is a play on the phrase represented with the four letters on the dreidel, Nes Gadol Haya Sham (“A great miracle happened there”). “Happy Llamakkah!” Laura Gehl; illustrated by Lydia Nichols Abrams Appleseed; ages 3-5 How does a family of llamas celebrate Hanukkah? With Lllamakah, of course! Laura Gehl’s tender rhyming verse is perfect for cozying up with the endearing little llamas as they light the Hanukkah menorah, play dreidel and build a snow-llama. Lydia Nichols’ cheerful illustrations brighten the pages. “Kayla and Kugel’s Happy Hanukkah” Ann D. Koffsky Apples & Honey Press; ages 3 -8 The happy pair of Kayla and her rambunctious dog Kugel are back in Ann Koffsky’s latest title in the delightful series. As Kayla gets ready to celebrate Hanukkah, she and Kugel are searching for the family’s Hanukkah box. In Koffsky’s clear verse, the spunky Kayla explains the origins and traditions of the holiday to Kugel. Koffsky’s color-rich, lively illustrations, including many of the mischievous Kugel, are sure to spark smiles. “The Littlest Candle: A Hanukkah Story” Rabbis Kerry and Jesse Olitzky; illustrated by Jen Kostman Kalaniot Books; ages 4-8 On the eve of Hanukkah, a box of colorful candles tucked away in a drawer comes to life in this sweet story. While the big candles bicker about who will be chosen to light the first candle on the menorah, the wise candle notices that it’s the littlest, Flicker, who is always helping others. When Flicker is chosen as the shamash, or the helper, the small purplish candle humbly shines in the highest place on the menorah. The book pairs noted Jewish educator Rabbi Kerry Olitzky with his son, Rabbi Jesse Olitzky. Jen Kostman’s cartoon-
style illustrations are as colorful as the bright boxes of Hanukkah candles. “The Eight Knights of Hanukkah” Leslie Kimmelman; illustrated by Galia Bernstein Holiday House; ages 3-8 Hark! In this playful tale, Lady Sadie challenges her eight young knights to save their kingdom’s Hanukkah celebration from a dragon who’s wreaking havoc on the villagers. She sends them out trotting on horseback to make things right with kind deeds and bravery. Kids will chuckle when Sir Isabella and Sir Rugelach discover that behind the dragon’s plume of smoke is a young creature who joins them in the grand Hanukkah celebration. Leslie Kimmelman and Galia Bernstein have created a lively, off-beat story that tickles the funny bone. (Added bonus: the cast of characters are very diverse.) “There Was a Young Rabbi: A Hanukkah Tale”
Suzanne Wolf; illustrated by Jeffrey Ebbeler Kar-Ben; ages 4-8 In this playful, rhyming story, Hanukkah meets “There Was an Old Lady Who Swallowed a Fly.” On the first night of Hanukkah a rabbi reads from the Torah and lights the menorah. Each night, she adds something new — cooking applesauce, playing dreidel with her family and enjoying chocolate coins. Young kids will join the chorus in this rollicking read-aloud. “The Ninth Night of Hanukkah” Erica S. Perl; illustrated by Shahar Kober Sterling Children’s Books; ages 3-8 Oy vey. When Max and Rachel move into a new apartment on the first night of Hanukkah, their special Hanukkah box is nowhere to be found. The inventive siblings craft their own menorah and knock on the door of a neighbor who comes to the rescue with birthday candles. For eight nights, a multicultural
array of neighbors helps the kids improvise — a hoolah hoop transforms into a perfect dreidel, for instance. As the holiday ends, Max and Rachel invite their new friends to a Hanukkah celebration. Israeli illustrator Shahar Kober’s animated illustrations add to the humor. “Honey on the Page: A Treasury of Yiddish Children’s Literature” Edited and translated by Miriam Udel New York University Press (ages 10-adult) Miriam Udel, a scholar of German and Jewish studies at Emory University, has gifted the world with a treasure of a book that introduces readers of all ages to the wealth of littleknown Jewish children’s stories by more than 25 early 20th century Yiddish writers, including Sholem Asch, Zina Rabinowitz and Mordkhe Spektor. The rich anthology, perfect for reading aloud, is a keeper to return to over the years.
HAPPY CHANUKAH | HAKOL LEHIGH VALLEY | DECEMBER 2020 7
happy Hanukkah Warm wishes for a celebration filled with love, light and family.
for today’s table ™