Happy Hanukah to my beautiful rabbi pigeons!
One thing I revere about Judaism is that so much of the spiritual practice and ritual happens in the home. So what does that mean for your ministry, Rabbis? Does it mean that you’re home for the next eight nights lighting the menorah and taking it easy with the kids and the gelte? Or are you out sharing the festival with members of the congregation at the synagogue or in homes?
Is this eight straight days of, “Oh, honestly, I couldn’t eat one more potato pancake! Well… okay, just one little one.”
Gentiles may not know that traditional Hanukah foods are fried, because the holiday is connected to the miracle of the oil in the temple lamps lasting long enough to re-dedicate the space after it was desecrated. How do you manage that, rabbis? Recipe adjustments, very small portions, foregoing custom altogether, or stocking up on Stridex pads for that oily shine?
I feel so special getting a shout out! Hannukah is one of the easier holidays to manage as clergy (provided you don’t have children to buy eight individual presents for!) because the liturgical needs are minimal: we celebrate during religious school and in our weekly worship, and then the laypeople throw a party. I also try to light my menorah with friends when I can (my nuclear family and I do a Google Hangout to light together once during the holiday). The latkes (and jelly donuts, also a hannukah food) can be a little much for the system, and I try to only eat them once per holiday. A few times I’ve tried to throw a party in my own home, and it’s lovely, but the ratio of effort it takes to make latkes (even from a mix) to the time it takes to consume them is just too high (and I always set the fire alarm off). Trader Joes makes good ones that can be cooked in the oven, and a cousin of mine suggested other creative ways to use olive oil (i.e. eight infused olive oils with lots of bread for dipping).
Thanks for the Chanukah wishes! One of the great things about Chanukah is that is easy to celebrate with my congregation and at home. We do a number of group lightings at the temple (with various learning/singing/themes- Patriots pep rally this evening) and they are high energy. But the best part is that I’ll do the congregational lighting and then also go home and light my own menorah. I get to have the big event but also have my private time to look at candles burning. As for latkes- oy. I drink a ton of water this week to try and counteract the oiliness (especially after frying them myself). But I already feel a bit greasy. And my house smells like a giant latke.
Thanks for the shout out! It’s the doughnut that get me rather than the latkes. (Also fried, big in Israel) Oh man – warm, glazed, powdered, jelly. Worth the time on the elliptical.