This is the Forward’s coverage of the Jewish holiday of Hanukkah.
Hanukkah
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Life What’s Your Hanukkah Menorah Worth?
Hanukkah menorahs and lamps can be valuable — depending on their origin, material, size and decoration. Since the majority European Jews was very poor, not everyone owned their own menorah. When they did, it was usually made of brass or pewter — less expensive metals than silver. Silver lamps are often very ornately decorated with…
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Life Why I Hate Hanukkah
For years, I’ve taken care to light the Hanukkah candles with my children. I fry latkes every single night for eight nights and make sure we sing all the right songs. I buy doughnuts filled with jelly and sometimes even make my own. And I hate every moment of it, because it was at Hanukkah…
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Fast Forward It’s Hanukkah Every Day Of The Year In This Picture-Postcard Italian Town
It’s always Hanukkah in this picturesque town in northern Italy’s Piedmont region. Jews have lived in Casale Monferrato for more than 500 years, with the community reaching its peak of 850 members at about the time Jews here were granted civil rights in 1848. The town still boasts one of Italy’s most ornate synagogues, a…
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Recipes Liza’s Stress-Free Latkes
I made my standard latkes last night, mixing things up only a little: Since one friend was gluten-free, I substituted brown rice flour for regular flour (or matzo meal) and it worked perfectly. And because I wasn’t in the mood for the fancy crème fraîche and salmon-roe garnishes I used when I took this picture,…
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Food The (Sour) Cream of the Crop
When it comes to latkes, we are a sour cream family. In fact, my mother thinks sour cream goes with everything. Not that there’s anything wrong with applesauce. But sour cream, or smetana in Russian, is in our DNA as one of the key ingredients in Russian cuisine. So this year, I’d like to take…
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Opinion What Being The Only Black Kid At Jewish Summer Camp Taught Me About Hanukkah And Kwanzaa
The proximity yet disconnect between Hanukkah and Kwanzaa has always seemed to me to reflect the relationship between the Jewish and Black communities. These two Diasporas with complex intertwined histories remain in what feels like a constant, surface-level dialogue. Sometimes it bends towards disagreement. Occasionally, it brings potential-filled light-giving sparks, though rarely an enduring fire….
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News Jewish Alabama Hails Roy Moore’s Defeat As A Hanukkah Miracle
On the first night of Hanukkah, Alabama’s Jews said the Shehecheyanu, the 2,000-year-old prayer of generalized thanksgiving that’s almost always appropriate: “Blessed are You, Lord our God, King of the Universe, who has granted us life, sustained us and enabled us to reach this moment.” Then they were presented with another miracle, on top of…
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Life 8 Modest Party Dresses To Wear To Your Family Hanukkah Party This Weekend
Aside from the oil-drenched foods, the dreidel playing and chocolate coins, Hanukkah is all about family. And if your very religious cousins are hosting this year’s Hanukkah bash, it can be difficult to find the perfect party dress. After all, you want to look cute, but you need to stay modest. So what’s a nice…
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