Cut out traditional Hanukkah doughnuts, health minister tells Israelis

JERUSALEM (JTA) – Israel’s health minister called on the public to refrain from eating the traditional Hanukkah treat sufganiyot.

“I call on the public to avoid eating sufganiyot, which are rich in fats,” Yaakov Litzman of the haredi Orthodox United Torah Judaism party said Dec. 11 during a conference to promote healthy eating, Ynet reported. “You can find alternatives for everything nowadays and there is no need for us to fatten our children with sufganiyot, which are not in line with the principles of health and proper nutrition.”

Sufganiyot, or traditional jelly doughnuts, are deep-fried and covered with powdered sugar, although variations include other fillings and toppings. They are ubiquitous in the weeks leading up to the holiday, with bakeries frying them on the street and selling them fresh to passers-by.

“If I had to say this today, I’d say sufganiyot out,” Litzman said. ‘You can eat them, of course, because it is part of the holiday’s customs, but there are alternatives.”