Nazareth to Bethlehem

Hanukkah

Antiochus IV and the Maccabees

In the second century BC, Judea was under the control of the Seleucid kings of Syria. When Antiochus IV came to the throne in 175 BC, he demanded the Jews give up their religion and worship the Greek gods - Zeus, Poseidon, Artemis etc. In 168 BC his army sacked Jerusalem, slaughtering thousands and desecrating the temple. Led by Judah Macabee ('The Hammer') a greatly outnumbered force of Jewish rebels defeated the Syrian army and took back Jerusalem. They cleaned and rededicated the temple, but there was only enough unpolluted oil in the temple to keep the menorah - the great branched candlestick - burning for one day. Judah ordered it to be lit anyway. Miraculously, the menorah burnt for eight days and nights, long enough for the followers of Judah Maccabee to find a new supply of pure oil.

Since then, on each of the eight nights of Hanukkah, Jewish families light candles on their own eight branched menorahs - each candle representing one of the eight days of the miracle. They eat special foods - especially dishes fried in oil, of course - exchange gifts, including chocolate coins (Hanukkah gelt) , and play games with four sided spinning tops called dreidels.

Fried potatoes for Hanukkah!

The home is a sacred place for Jews; it is a place for prayer and worship, as well as a living place. Many Jewish religious festivals involve prayers, songs and also sharing special meals at home. At Hanukkah, it is traditional to eat fried foods - specially doughnuts and potato pancakes called latkes.

Here's my own variation on a recipe for latkes with a sweet/sour apple sauce. This recipe also includes leeks - one of the vegetables that the Children of Israel missed most when wandering in the wilderness (Numbers 11:5).

Here's the recipe. Do try it; and if you can, bring your latkes to our Wednesday lunch.

Peel, core and thinly slice 1 large Bramley apple. Place in a pan containing 150 mls of water and 1 star anise (optional). Bring to the boil and simmer until the apple is soft and fluffy. Add 1 or 2 teaspoons of honey (depending on how sweet you like your apple sauce) and 1 teaspoon of white wine vinegar or cider vinegar. Set aside to cool.
Thinly grate I medium baking potato and place the grated potato between sheets of kitchen towel, or wrap in a clean tea towel, to absorb the moisture.
Finely dice the white part of a medium-sized leek.
Place the dried, grated potato and diced leek into a mixing bowl. Add two well beaten medium eggs and (optional) seasoning of 1 level teaspoon of flaked sea salt, ground black pepper and 1 level teaspoon of ground cumin.
Place a heavy frying pan on a medium heat and add a thin coating of oil - approx. 1 tablespoon for a large pan.
When the pan is hot, place tablespoonfuls of the potato, leek and egg mixture into the pan and fry until golden brown - between 1 1/2 and 2 minutes each side.
Place the fried pancakes in a low oven or under a low grill to keep warm.
When all the mixture has been used, serve the warm pancakes with a generous dollop of the apple sauce.
Enjoy!

If you want some lively music while cooking, try the Maccabeats Latke Recipe song

Prayer and song for the first night of Hanukkah

On each of the eight nights of Hanukkah a candle is lit on the mennorah to commemorate each night the miracle of the oil was repeated. Special prayers are said or sung, and special songs are sung. A special meal is eaten and, like many other mid-winter festivals, gifts are exchanged.

Marden Paul works at the University of Toronto. As a Canadian, he is a member of the fourth largest Jewish community in the world. Although Marden lives in Toronto, on Jewish holidays he makes a round trip of 7,000 kilometres to be the cantor - the leading singer and worship leader - at a synagogue in Arizona.

He has recorded, especially for us, one of the prayers for the first night of Hanukkah, and Maoz Tzur, a traditional Hanukkah song.

Hanukah blessing 2.m4a

The prayer for the first night of Hanukkah:

Baruch atah, Adonai

Eloheinu, Melech haolam,

she-asah nisim laavoteinu

v’imoteinu bayamim

hahaeim baz’man hazeh.

The following is a rough translation from the Hebrew.

Let us join our Jewish brothers and sisters in this special blessing:

Blessed are You, O Lord, our God,

Sovereign of all,

Who performed wonderous deeds for our ancestors

In this season, in days of old.

Maoz Tzur.m4a

Maoz Tzur

Maoz tzur y’shuati

l’cha naeh l’shabeach

Tikon beit t’filati

v’sham todah n’zabeach.

L’eit tachin matbeach

mitzar hamnabeach

Az egmor b’shir mizmor

chanukat hamizbeach

Az egmor b’shir mizmor

chanukat hamizbeach.

An English translation:

Rock of Ages let our song,

Praise your saving power;

You amidst the raging foes,

Was our sheltering tower.

Furiously they assailed us,

But Your arm availed us

And Your word broke their sword,

When our own strength failed us.

And Your word broke their sword,

When our own strength failed us.

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