Thousands of years ago, the Jewish people had only enough oil to produce light in their menorah for one night. However, a miracle was born when the people were blessed with not just one day but eight long days of light. These days are now celebrated as Hanukkah, or as what I like to call it, “The Holiday of Light.”

Hanukkah has always been my favorite holiday, as it brings family and friends together in order to celebrate the beautiful miracle of light. Each night, we come together to light the menorah one candle at a time, using the shamash (helper candle), which is used to help produce light. I have always believed that the lights, which shine in the windows during Hanukkah time, are there to remind me of my love for being Jewish. This tradition was intended as such.

Just as the ancient Jewish people had their miracle, I hope that Hanukkah will bring with it another one as well. As a miracle, I wish that the hostages in Gaza will return and that the war will soon come to an end.

Besides miracles and hope, Hanukkah involves food and celebration. Two of my favorite foods to eat during Hanukkah are latkes and Hanukkah donuts (sufganiyot) with either jelly or chocolate inside. Though both are absolutely delicious, when asking a few Jewish/Israeli students which they prefer more, eighteen of them said they prefer Hanukkah donuts, and five of them preferred latkes. Both foods are made with a lot of love, ALOT of oil to symbolize the miracle we experienced, and a few other ingredients. Below are recipes for both of the traditional desserts I have mentioned.

Hanukkah Donuts By Jenn Segal: 

2 eggs

4 tablespoons sugar

2 teaspoons vanilla extract

2 cups plain, low-fat yogurt

2 ½ cups all-purpose flour

3 teaspoons baking powder

¼ teaspoon salt

2 cups canola oil, for frying

1 cup powdered sugar, for dusting

1 cup smooth strawberry jelly

Directions: 

Combine the eggs, sugar, vanilla, yogurt, flour, baking powder, and salt in a bowl, and mix well. The batter should be thicker than pancake batter. Allow the batter to rest for about 10 minutes.

Place oil in a 2-quart saucepan (you want about 2 inches of oil in the pan) and heat to 325F. With a soup spoon, drop small mounds of batter into the hot oil and cook 3 to 4 minutes. The doughnuts will turn on their own, but keep an eye on them to make sure they turn and cook on all sides until golden brown. Drain on a plate lined with paper towel.

While still warm, fill the doughnuts with smooth strawberry jelly, either with a knife or a frosting syringe. Sprinkle the tops with lots of powder sugar. Enjoy!

Latkes:

2 lbs potatoes 

1 medium yellow onion

1 egg lightly beaten

2 tbsp flour

1 tsp salt & a good grind of pepper

Vegetable/ Sunflower/ flavorless oil for frying

Directions: 

Grate the potatoes and onions together. 

Squeeze the liquid out of the potatoes and onions. 

After moving the mixed potatoes to a bowl, add the beaten egg, flour, salt, and pepper. 

Heat 1 cm of oil in the button of a frying pan or saute pan until it’s hot. 

Fry on a medium heat until golden brown and flip to cook the other side. 

This lovely holiday begins at night on Thursday, December 7th. I hope everyone has a happy Hanukkah!