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Numbers chapter 7, describing how
the Jewish people dedicated the taber-
nacle and altar in the wilderness after
the exodus from Egypt, also are read.
In the morning, afternoon and eve-
ning services, insert the paragraph of
Al Ha-Nisim ("For the miracles") into
the Sh'moneh Esrei (Amidah) prayer
and include it with birkat ha-mazon
(grace after meals). Do not recite the
Tachanun penitential prayer.
Chanukah is the only Jewish holiday
that coincides with Rosh Chodesh (the
celebration of a new month), which in
this case is the month of Tevet. On that
day, an extra Torah portion is read.
In many congregations it is custom-
ary in the morning service to recite
Psalm 30: Mizmor shir chanukat ha-
bayit le-David ("A psalm for the dedi-
cation of the Temple, by David"). On
Shabbat, a special Haftorah, describing
a heavenly golden menorah, is read.
If Chanukah stretches over to a sec-
ond Shabbat (not this year), another
Haftorah is added which comes from
the book of II Kings and describes the
repair of the Temple during the reign
of King Jehoash.
Chanukah Customs
While the Chanukah candles are
burning, household chores are not
performed.
And who hasn't sung the song about
the little dreidel made of clay? The
dreidel is a spinning game using a top
with four Hebrew letters: nun, gimel,
hei (poi in Israel), and shin. The letters
stand for the first words in the Hebrew
phrase, Nes gadol haya po (in Israel:
"A great miracle happened here") or
outside of Israel, Nes gadol haya sham
("A great miracle happened there").
Children play for candy, nuts or pen-
nies, taking from or adding to the pot
depending on which letter the dreidel
lands.
To commemorate the miracle of the
oil, ifs traditional to eat foods cooked
in oil. Most Jews whose ancestors
came from central or eastern Europe
eat potato pancakes known in Yiddish
as lathes. Why potato? In the winter
months, potatoes kept well and were
plentiful and filling.
Jews from different countries have
their own lathe traditions: Polish Jews
like them sprinkled with sugar and
served with tea; Russian Jews make
them with onions and dollop them
with sour cream;, German Jews like
them with applesauce. Mediterranean
Jews prepare doughnuts, known in
Hebrew as sufganiot which, in Israel,
are filled with jelly.
.39,pr‹,ach
The story of Judith and Holophernes
also is associated with Chanukah.
Judith was a beautiful Jewish widow
(some regard her as the sister of Judah
Maccabee) who goes into an army
camp about to invade the land of Israel
and ingratiates herself with the corn-
manding general, Holophernes.
She gives him milk to drink, which
makes him sleepy. After he is sound
asleep, Judith cuts off his head; his
army disperses and Israel is saved. For
this reason, some eat dairy foods on
Chanukah.
In the United States, some Jews
exchange presents on the holiday
— but this is a custom copied from
Christmas and has nothing to do with
the Chanukah narrative.
How To Spell The Holiday
One of the great mysteries of all time is
the correct English spelling of the holi-
day. Hallmark Greeting Cards regularly
creates cards with a variety of spellings,
in fact, just to keep everyone happy.
In Hebrew, the spelling is simple:
chet, nun, vav, kaf hei. But in English,
many use the German translitera-
tion: Chanukah. Because the Hebrew
letter kaf contains a dagesh, or dot,
which implies doubling, others spell
the holiday as Chanukkah. In an effort
to eliminate the confusing ch at the
beginning of the word, others spell the
holiday as Hanukah or Hanukkah. To
simplify the spelling, others drop the
final h to produce Hanukka; and yet
others, to further simplify, drop the
extra k to produce Hanuka.
The first-century C.E. Jewish histo-
rian Josephus called the holiday Urim,
which in Hebrew means "lights"
.806
it-eme. 1.5
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4:, OF WEST BLOOMFIELD , -2
Yiddish Limericks
ASSISTED LIVING
An American House Senior Living Community
Oh, Chanukah
4:460 i rchard Lakeind [Weil Illoomfiela, IVII ^ 483t8
On Chanukkah we add one light
to the menorah every night.
And Bed, Dave and Shaindel
Vel shpiln mit* their draidel
While essen** lathes with delight.
* Vel shpiln mit — will play with
** Essen — eating
JN limerick writer Rachel Kapen is a
West Bloomfield resident.
re. tareetwestbIoomfield,corn
Call today to schedu e a FREt !um
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and tour: (2
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1
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aMia
3rd Month Rent Free
Valid for new residents placing deposits by 1/31/10.
Restrictions Apply. Must Present Coupon.
NOR 18100 ANA INIM ANN ONA MA NM NON NAG NM NON MAN ANON NAN
1607.240
December : 2010
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