New Paltz celebrates its Hanukkah holiday traditions. Tobi Watson remembers latkes, dreidel, and holiday parties.
Growing up, Watson and her entire family – sisters, brothers, grandparents, parents and cousins – would get together every year to celebrate Hanukkah. Her favorite part? Eating tons of fried food, latkes and apple sauce.
She grew up going to The Jewish Congregation of New Paltz, which had the same rabbi for 38 years, Bill Strongin. In August of last year rabbi Adam Cerino-Jones took over.
“We’d light the menorah each night, eat tons of fried food, and get a gift each day,” said Watson.
Hanukkah traditions are celebrated all over the world, including here in the Hudson Valley.
“Hanukkah was derived by ancient rabbis over 2000 years ago,” said Cerino-Jones. “It doesn’t have the same level of seriousness and precedence as Rosh Hashanah or Passover, which are ordained in the torah. But it became important because it’s in the same part of the calendar year as a lot of other holidays.”
According to Jewish tradition, after the Maccabees’ victory over the Greeks, there was only enough oil to burn for one day in the temple.
Lighting the menorah commemorates a miracle. The eight candles symbolize the number of days that the temple lantern blazed. The ninth, the shamash, is a helper candle used to light the others.
“Traditionally speaking, you’re supposed to use oil rather than candles if you can,” said Cerino-Jones. “The vast majority use candles instead, adding them from right to left, but lighting them from left to right. The shamash is elevated to distinguish it from the rest.”
Once the menorah is lit, Cerino-Jones explains, the light off it shouldn’t be used for anything other than to celebrate the miracle. That means people shouldn’t read or eat by it.
Some people decide to promote the miracle by making the menorah visible in a windowsill.
Oil is also why it is traditional to eat fried things. For Eastern European Jews, it’s latkes or potato pancakes. In other parts of the world it’s jelly donuts.
Congregations across the world celebrate all these things in their own way, creating their own traditions as well. Despite having only spent one Hanukkah with this congregation, Cerino-Jones has joined in its traditions, which the congregants look forward to every year.
The biggest tradition in New Paltz? The annual Hanukkah party, jointly produced by the general membership and the Hebrew school, brings about 100 community members together.
Cerino-Jones describes it as “a wonderful, multigenerational experience for everyone.”
“The elders get to eat latkes with our youngest kids, sing songs and light menorahs all together,” said Cerino-Jones. A group of about ten men, known as the latketiers, make giant piles of latkes for the holiday in the kitchen of their community center, where the party is held. They eat their potato pancakes with sour cream and apple sauce.
Also out of the kitchen are beverages, of course. Watson remembers Manischewitz wine every year.
At about the same time as the holiday party is a holiday sale where people buy menorahs and other Jewish accoutrements.
Like last year, Cerino-Jones will lead the group in singing songs like Ma’oz Tzur, sung
on Hanukkah after the lighting. The party is on December 10 at 4 p.m. this year. The building will be filled with community members who are ready to eat well, drink, and play games like the dreidel.
What part is Cerino-Jones looking forward to the most?
“As the rabbi of the community, it’s seeing all of my congregants get this chance to spend meaningful, significant time together,” he said. “It’s hearing the kids running around, making noise, maybe being told to quiet down a little bit. Having members that have been part of the community for 60 years see their old friends and enjoy fried potatoes. There’s so much light and joy. We don’t focus on the military victory part of it, even the miracle part, it’s just the chance in the lovely winter season to do this ritual and enjoy company.”
Join the family! 
