Hanukkah spins into the JCC

On Dec. 11, at the Dwares Jewish Community Center, the Israeli Culture Series and PJ Library partnered to bring a multi-generational Israeli Hanukkah experience to the community.

Despite the torrential rain and wind, approximately 100 people of all ages attended “Lights and Delights: Hanukkah in Israel.”

The Social Hall at the JCC was decorated for an early Hanukkah as Gaya, the Israeli shlichah (emissary), kicked off the evening with a presentation exploring how Hanukkah celebrations in Israel are different than in the U.S. She told the crowd that Israelis eat fancy sufganiyot more than they eat latkes, and there are tours to find the best sufganiyot.

Dreidels in Israel have the letter “pey” instead of “shin.” In the Diaspora, dreidels have the Hebrew letters “nun,” “gimmel,” “hey” and “shin,” representing the phrase “nes gadol haya sham” — “a great miracle happened there.” In Israel, however, dreidels have a “pey” instead of a “shin,” an acronym for the phrase “nes gadol haya po,” or “a great miracle happened here.” Also Gaya revealed that playing the game is not a tradition in Israel but rather they spin for fun.

The audience was treated to a video about the annual Hanukkah FESTIGAL, an Israeli song-and-dance musical show for children held at Hanukkah time, during the school vacation. What began as a song contest gradually changed to include performances by well-known Israeli singers and actors. Each year's event is built around a particular theme or story.

And finally, Gaya told everyone that giving presents for Hanukkah every night is not an Israeli Hanukkah tradition as it often is in the United States. 

Participants then rotated through “stations” while listening to Israeli Hanukkah music. They made beeswax candles, decorated wooden block hanukkiot, filled sufganiyot from Navad bakery, played dreidel with Israeli dreidels and enjoyed the light refreshments.

In a different room, many adults participated in a conversation about bringing light into the darkness with Rabbi Ethan Adler of Congregation Beth David, in Narragansett.

The Israeli Culture Series and PJ Library are programs of the Jewish Alliance of Greater Rhode Island.