frontlines
Video Fun
Chanukah
Chanukah songs
to lift your spirits.
the least healthy
Jewish holiday.
I
Roche! Burstyn
Special to the Jewish News
T
here's nothing like the arrival
of Chanukah to make me drop
my diet like a hot potato, which
is ironic because it's the season for hot
potatoes. Especially when they're drip-
ping with oil, smothered in apple sauce
or sour cream and eaten with a side of
sugared deep-fried doughnuts!
Isn't it funny how Chanukah is really
the only Jewish holiday that is commem-
orated by eating calorie-dense, artery-
clogging foods? All other traditional
Jewish holiday fare is much kinder to the
hips — like the Rosh Hashanah appe-
tizers of apple dipped in honey or the
Pesach menu of bitter herbs and matzah
that gives its own special meaning to the
phrase "Let my people go."
Maybe it's because of the name — if
we weren't busy with the food, we might
start arguing about the age-old question:
Is it Chanukah or Hannukah?
And that, you see, is why we have to
eat lakes — they remind
us of the song lyric "You
say potato, I say potahto
..." but nobody's gonna
call "the whole thing off"
when there are platters of hot lakes and
chocolate-sprinkle doughnuts on the
table! Maybe that's also the reason why
we celebrate for eight (read it as "ate")
days!
So that explains potato lakes. What
about the oil? Turns out oil actu-
ally played a pretty significant part in
the miracle of Chanukah. After the
Maccabees liberated the Holy Temple
from the Syrian-Greek invaders, they
wanted to light the menorah as was their
daily custom. They searched all over
for some untarnished oil, but it was like
looking for an American souvenir with-
out a 'Made in China sticker.
Miraculously, they managed to find a
flask with enough oil to burn for just one
day, but it ended up burning for eight
days and nights — the exact amount of
time it took to prepare more olive oil,
which, actually, is one of the worst oils to
JN CONTENTS
Dec. 11-17, 2014
Times of Israel
F
fry latkes or doughnuts in because it has
a low-smoke point, but Chanukah would
just not be the same if we celebrated with
an olive oil-based salad dressing.
Chanukah is also known as the Festi-
val of Lights, but nothing's getting lighter
around here except my bank account!
Chanukah is a de-light-ful holiday
when we're given the green light to see
the world in a whole new light (through
oil-tinted lenses). Not only is the Torah
our Guiding Light, but it lights a fire
under us to be a light unto others.
In light of the Chanukah miracle, we
should remember that many hands make
light work, always travel light (it makes
going through airport security much
easier), and if you're feeling light-headed
after all those latices and doughnuts,
focus on the fact that soon you'll be out
like a light and the diet can start again
tomorrow.
So, oil's well that ends well!
❑
theJEWISHNEWS
19-25 Kislev 5775 Vol. CXLVI, No. 18
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Shabbat and Holiday Lights
Shabbat: Friday, Dec. 12, 4:41 p.m.
Shabbat Ends: Saturday, Dec. 13, 5:48 p.m.
Chanukah begins:
Tuesday night, Dec. 16
orget those a cappella groups
and goofy parodies. Let's swing
into the winter holiday season
this year with a new Chanukah video
that ushers in the Festival of Lights big-
band style.
Since its posting on Nov. 22, "Hanukkah
Song Mashup-Dance Spectacular" by
Elliot Dvorin and the Key Tov Orchestra
has racked up 275,455 views on YouTube.
"People have been in touch with me to
tell me how the video really makes them
smile Dvorin told the Times of Israel
from Chicago, where he and his Jewish
wedding band are
based.
The Chanukah
video, filmed at
Daley Plaza in the
heart of Chicago, is
Dvorin, 30, and the
Key Tov Orchestra's
second video. The
first, "Hashem
Melech," boasts more
than 130,000 views.
"There's nothing
quite like this out
there Dvorin said
of his Chanukah mashup, which features
a large dance company in addition to
Dvorin and the musicians.
"People are really reacting positively not
only to the music, but also to the visual
element — the dancers, the different
styles and costumes:' he said.
The clip includes a number of tradition-
al Hebrew, English and Ladino Chanukah
favorites, as well as some newer songs,
like Adam Sandler's "Hanukkah Song."
The wedding singer felt this was the
right time to pull out all the stops and put
on a big show.
"When there is so much turmoil in the
world, people enjoy good music and a
production of this nature he said.
❑
Shabbat: Friday, Dec. 19, 4:43 p.m.
Shabbat Ends: Saturday, Dec. 20, 5:50 p.m.
Times are from Yeshiva Beth Yehudah calendar.
Cover page design: Deborah Schultz.
The Detroit Jewish News (USPS 275-520) is
published every Thursday at 29200 Northwestern
Highway, #110, Southfield, Michigan. Periodical
postage paid at Southfield, Michigan, and
additional mailing offices. Postmaster: send changes
to: Detroit Jewish News, 29200 Northwestern
Highway, #110, Southfield, MI 48034.
See Key Tov's mashup at bit.
lytIluOva8. Check out these other
Chanukah videos: Barenaked Ladies'
Steven Page's Chanukah bless-
ing (bit.lyt1BwmjSb), Julie Silver's
new version of "The Dreidel Song"
(bit.lytIzJYfHE), "Candlelight" by
Yeshiva University's Maccabeats
(bit.ly/1B1nWEi) and "Light Up the
Night" by the Fountainheads from
Israel (bit.ly/1yyGWXS).
JN
December 11 • 2014
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