PALM COAST -- Hanukkah may not be the most important holiday on the Jewish calendar, but that doesn't mean you can't have some fun.
For the congregation at Temple Beth Shalom, the fun came in the form of music, food and fellowship.
The synagogue had its annual latke party Sunday with young and old alike sharing in the potato pancake treat that is a traditional part of the Hanukkah celebration.
Youth from the synagogue led the congregation in some traditional Hanukkah songs and talked about the holiday before everybody got down to the business of eating latkes.
For congregation president Jeanne Siegel the celebration was designed to bring the members together.
"We have a lot of fun," she said. "We have quite a number of these kind of affairs."
For the latke party event, volunteers produced 450 potato pancakes, all made from scratch.
"We had a crew of about 10 people," Siegel said.
Siegel said while Hanukkah is a minor holiday, an important message about religious freedom is taken from the story, and it's one the religious school teachers work hard to convey to the students.
"The teachers teach them to respect other religions," Siegel said.
The festival of Hanukkah commemorates the victory of the Maccabees, a group of Jews who resisted efforts to assimilate them into Syrian-Greek society in the year 168 BCE (before the common era).
The Greek King Antiochus had forced his religion on the people of Jerusalem and even took over the city's temple. After defeating the forces of King Antiochus, the Maccabees cleaned the temple and rededicated it. According to the Hanukkah story, when it came time to relight the eternal light in the temple, it was discovered that there was only enough oil for one day. It would take eight days to get enough new oil.
But the small amount of oil lasted for eight days, which is why each night of Hanukkah, another candle is lit on the menorah -- a traditional candle holder -- for eight days.
Lighting the menorah is the central observance of the holiday, although today gifts are often exchanged. Traditional Hanukkah food is oil-rich in commemoration of the miracle in the temple and includes latkes.
Five-year old Daniella Fortun gave the latkes a thumbs up, saying they were very good.
While the emphasis was on fun at the Sunday event, Siegel said it can be hard for some children who celebrate Hanukkah.
"It's difficult for the kids," she said. "We have to instruct our children not to associate Hanukkah with Christmas."
الأربعاء ديسمبر 08, 2010 1:06 am
