Located at the meeting point of the Rhône and Saône rivers, Lyon has been a manufacturing city for the most of its history. The city’s traboules, which are tiny, secret passageways that connect courtyards via apartment buildings, were mostly constructed by silk workers who had to move between workshops to protect their fabric from the…
In the past, celebrating Hanukkah in the United Arab Emirates required driving into the desert, erecting a menorah on the sand, and hoping for seclusion. In the distance, camels passed. The community was tiny, cautious, and mostly undetectable. 2010 was the year. Menorahs, blue-and-silver holiday displays, and kosher gift baskets are placed next to checkout…
For many years, the Hanukkah section in the majority of American stores was either an accident or an afterthought. An isolated endcap by the Christmas aisle. Menorah candle boxes. Additionally, matzoh, the Passover flatbread that has nothing to do with the Festival of Lights, is almost always included in the holiday display. It seems as…
A dish that no one quite anticipated is emerging somewhere between a pajeon and a potato pancake, and it’s becoming more and more common on food blogs, Instagram reels, and holiday tables. One of the most talked-about Hanukkah innovations in recent memory is the Korean-Jewish fusion latke, a crispy marriage of grated potato, kimchi, and…
A certain kind of obsession only affects those who are already aware of the complexity of seemingly simple things. That type of person is retired Boston University astrophysicist Kenneth Brecher. Like all children at Hanukkah, he spent his childhood spinning dreidels at his neighborhood synagogue, tossing them on tables, and gambling chocolate coins. The spinning…
In the past, purchasing a menorah required going to a tiny Judaica store on a side street in Brooklyn or the Upper West Side. Most likely, the store owner was aware of your name. The choices were simple: brass, silver-plated, possibly an Israeli handmade item. Although it hasn’t completely vanished, something louder and much more…
This year, there’s a minor but significant change taking place on Hanukkah tables that has nothing to do with the latkes or candles. It’s the dreidel itself. For many years, the spinning top that serves as the focal point of the most well-known game for the holiday came almost entirely from a factory mold; it…
In December, you might notice something strange sitting next to the pegboards and putty in a pediatric occupational therapy clinic. A dreidel. As equipment, not as ornamentation. It seems almost too easy to do. A four-sided spinning top, similar to those distributed at Hanukkah celebrations, was requested to serve as rehabilitation equipment, which typically costs…
Standing in a December kosher grocery store aisle, gazing at a wall of olive oil bottles, and contemplating carbon footprints is almost comical. However, more and more people are experiencing that. The holiday of Hanukkah, which was centered around a single flask of oil that famously refused to run out, has subtly evolved into a…
Hanukkah, the Festival of Lights, is a celebration centered on a miracle: a tiny cruse of oil, meant to last for just one day, burned brightly for eight. This ancient story of resourcefulness, endurance, and light over darkness offers a powerful framework for embracing modern sustainability. The Jewish concept of tikkun olam—the imperative to repair…