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Create a meaningful and happy Hanukkah in your home—with story, celebration, food and song.
This newly-designed, easy-to-use edition of a classic spiritual sourcebook offers updated information, more family ideas, and new resources for every aspect of your holiday celebration.
Information on every aspect of Hanukkah is covered, including:
- The story of Hanukkah
- Celebrating—for families of every constellation
- Songs and prayers in English, Hebrew and Yiddish (with clear transliterations)
- Recipes for traditional and modern Hanukkah foods
- "December Dilemmas"—coping with other traditions' celebrations
- Firsthand explanations and ideas from real-life families around America
Hands-on advice and practical suggestions invite families into Hanukkah’s spirituality and joys, from the making of luscious latkes and Hanukkah crafts to the stories of the heroism and the miracle that are remembered every year with the lighting of the hanukkiyah.
"A glance at the table of contents, from storytelling and recipes to theology, offers evidence of the author's comprehensive grasp of the family. The book is helpful to the family that strives to induct its members into the spirituality and joys of Jewishness and Judaism."
—from the Preface by Rabbi Harold M. Schulweis, Valley Beth Shalom, Encino, California
"Will shed its bright light for all eight days of Hanukkah, and then some…. deals sensitively with the traditions of the holiday, as well as with the variety of ways in which modern Jews attempt to grapple with the complex emotions and celebrations of the Christmas and Hanukkah seasons."
—Dr. Egon Mayer, Center for Jewish Studies, City University of New York
“Children and parents will all find this wonderful resource a way to make their Hanukkah even brighter.”
—Rabbi Sandy Eisenberg Sasso, author of In God's Name and Cain and Abel: Finding the Fruits of Peace—and many other books for children and families
“From history to holiday practices, from rituals to recipes, brings new understanding and meaning to our celebration. An essential Hanukkah gift for every home and congregation.”
—Rabbi Lawrence A. Hoffman, author of The Way Into Jewish Prayer; Professor of Liturgy, Hebrew Union College–Jewish Institute of Religion
Preface by Rabbi Harold M. Schulweis
Foreword
Using This Text
PART I: The Art of Hanukkah
1. What Is Hanukkah?
2. The Ever-Evolving Story of Hanukkah
3. The Hanukkah Ritual
4. Hadlakat Neirot: Candlelighting
5. Haneirot Hallalu
6. Maoz Tzur
7. Al Hanissim
8. The Hanukkah Gallery
The Meal
Games
Gifts
Decorations
Songs
PART II: The December Dilemmas
The New Reality
Hilkhot Christmas
The True Story of Christmas
Who's Celebrating?
The Unique Challenges for Intermarried and Interfaith Families
Religious Holidays in the Public Domain
Confusion in the Marketplace
Pseudo-Christmas and Family Gatherings
Jews-by-Choice and Christmas
Kosher Turkey for Christmas Dinner?
Solving the December Dilemmas
Afterword
Selected Bibliography