PANAMA CITY — Hanukkah started Tuesday and the local Jewish community is looking forward to a “joyful holiday.”
While many Christians lament the commercialization of Christmas, Temple B’Nai Israel member and Sisterhood President Lisa Rahn said the same has not happened with Hanukkah.
“It’s not one of our major holidays,” Rahn said. “Our biggest holidays are the High Holy Days, which are Rosh Hoshannah and Yom Kippur that come earlier in the fall and then Passover in the spring.”
While children do receive a present each night of Hanukkah, they are traditionally small gifts, often from various family members.
“It isn’t overblown. … You don’t usually see people racking up thousands of dollars on credit cards,” Rahn said with a laugh.
The holiday, also called the Festival of Lights, commemorates the time when the Maccabees, Jewish rebels, defeated the Syrians against all odds and went to rededicate the temple the Syrians destroyed. They had enough oil to light their lamps for only one night, but the lamps burned for eight nights.
The eight-day holiday is celebrated with dreidel games played for Hanukkah gelt (chocolate coins) and, in the U.S., potato pancakes called latkes. Latkes are usually eaten with applesauce or sour cream. While they are traditionally plain potato, Rahn said people can get creative and make them with sweet potato, zucchini or other vegetables.
“We eat a lot of fried foods, which makes it a very good Southern holiday,” she said.
The traditional food varies throughout the world — in Israel, Rahn said, it’s jelly doughnuts — but they all involve oil.
“My favorite part of the holiday is lighting the menorah,” Rahn said.
The branched candelabra holds nine candles — one for each night of Hanukkah and one shamos or “helper candle” that is always lit first.
“When we get together during Hanukkah everyone will bring their menorahs with them and we’ll all light them together and it’s just beautiful,” Rahn said.
There is no special Hanukkah service planned at the temple, but it will host a luncheon party Sunday for its congregation.
“It’s not something that’s open to the community at large, though we certainly welcome inquiries from anyone of a Jewish background or who is interested in Judaism who would like to participate,” Rahn said.
The temple can be reached at (850) 522-8685 or BNaiIsraelPC.org.