CHANUKAH
LIGHT UP
The World of Darkness
Celebrating Chanukah in a Corona Winter | BY DEBORAH FINEBLUM, JNS.ORG
J
ust saying the word “Chanukah” brings smiles. As does conjuring up the sight of candles ablaze and hearing the sounds of boisterously off-key renditions of “I Had a Little Dreidel” and “Maoz Tzur.” And the smells? Look no further than those potato latkes fresh from the pan just begging for their applesauce and sour cream. Top that off with the sweetness of sufganiyot, those addictive jam-filled doughnuts. (Dieters beware: In Israel, you’ll also find caramel, banana cream, hazelnut and chocolate-chip ones.) 18
But if it’s a Chanukah party you’re looking for this year (when Jews the world over light the first of eight candles on Thursday night, Dec. 10) with social distancing remaining in effect due to the global coronavirus pandemic, that pile of holiday invites is most likely somewhat slimmer than in years past. Equally sobering is the fact that with many Jewish families up against job losses and business shut-downs this year, in many homes there’s not only a shortage of cash for gift-giving, but an atmosphere of worry and stress. That can put a serious damper on
L’CHAIM SAN DIEGO MAGAZINE • DECEMBER 2020/JANUARY 2021
holiday festivities. But inspired by Judah Maccabee, his sons and their small band of fighters who managed to reclaim the temple in Jerusalem from the Syrian-Greeks more than 2,000 years ago, unearthing a tiny cruse of oil that was destined to burn in the menorah for a miraculous eight days, “as Jews, we’re still super adaptable,” says Neal Hoffman, creator of the best-selling “Mensch on a Bench” and assorted other Jewish-themed stuffed toys — 95 percent of them are sold in the weeks leading up to Chanukah.
