Hanukkah proves special time for families
BY CHRISTIE STORM
Posted on Saturday, December 4, 2004
http://www.nwanews.com/story.php?paper=adg§ion=Religion&storyid=100878
For members of Congregation Etz Chaim in Benton County, this year’s celebration of Hanukkah will be special. It is the first time the newly formed congregation will gather together for the annual holiday.
The congregation will meet at 8 p.m. Friday on the Bentonville square in front of the menorah for traditional blessings and songs. A Shabbat service will be at 7 p.m. at the Bentonville Advertising and Promotion Commission building, 116 S. Main St.
Members will also gather for a Hanukkah party at 5 p.m. Dec. 11 at the Boys and Girls Club of Benton County, 2801 N. Walker St. The public is welcome to join the congregation for latkes (potato pancakes), games of dreidel and traditional songs.
Even though the holiday usually falls sometime close to the Christian celebration of Christ’s birth, Hanukkah — or the Festival of Lights — is not the Jewish equivalent of Christmas. It holds special significance, but it really is a minor holiday in the Jewish calendar. The season is a time for Jews to remember when a small band of brothers, the Maccabees, overpowered the Syrian army and reclaimed their freedom. But Hanukkah is also a holiday commemorating "the miracle of the oil." After the Maccabees defeated the army, the temple only had enough oil to burn in its menorah for one day. Making and purifying more oil would take eight days. Despite the small amount of oil, the menorah remained lighted and burned for eight days. Consequently, Hanukkah is celebrated for eight days. Hanukkah begins on the 25 th day of the Hebrew month of Kislev and usually falls in early to mid-December. This year, Hanukkah begins at sundown Tuesday and continues until sundown Dec. 14.
FAMILY TIME This holiday is one of fun and festivities, focusing on family time together. John and Maura Ellis, of Bentonville, and their four children celebrate the holiday by making traditional foods, sharing gifts and reading stories.
The Ellises’ children — Emma, 9; Benjamin, 7; Allison, 4; and Rebecca, 2; — participate in preparing the traditional latkes and help decorate the house.
Maura Ellis says her favorite part of the holiday is cooking. "My kids love to cook. It’s like a little production. We put on aprons, and we get out the potatoes and grind them. Everyone has a duty," she says.
John Ellis enjoys reading the stories.
The first night of Hanukkah, the family eats the latkes, homemade jelly doughnuts (another traditional food) and chocolate gelt — chocolate candy wrapped in foil to resemble coins. The family also delivers doughnuts to their neighbors. Foods fried in oil are made in remembrance of the miracle of the oil.
Each night the family gathers to read Hanukkah stories, play a spinning game with a top called a dreidel and sing blessings. The children each receive one small gift per night until the eighth night, when they receive a larger gift. "We never go out on Hanukkah. We always stay at home. It’s like a family fun night for eight nights," Maura Ellis says.
The family usually has a big celebration for family and friends, but this year they will celebrate with other members of Congregation Etz Chaim. "This Hanukkah I feel so blessed to be in this country, this city and with our new congregation," she says. "I feel this is an especially happy Hanukkah."
SLOWING DOWN Carol and Paul Stuckey, also of Bentonville, celebrate Hanukkah with their daughters Rachael, 14, and Rebecca, 7. Each year, the family cooks latkes and displays a menorah, lighting the candles each night. Carol Stuckey says the holiday is a time when the family slows down and spends time together. Stuckey says she appreciates the essence of the holiday — freedom. "I like that we are celebrating freedom, and to me it’s such a beautiful holiday," she says. Even though the Jews were outnumbered, Stuckey says they were able to overcome adversity and reclaim their freedom. "I also love that it’s eight nights where we spend time together," she says. "It’s low-key, not a frenzied thing." Members of Temple Shalom in Fayetteville also will have Hanukkah events. The congregation will have a children’s Hanukkah service at 6 p.m. Friday at Unitarian Universalist Fellowship of Fayetteville, at Cleveland Street and Storer Avenue. The public is welcome to attend and join in celebrating the holiday.
A community "pot-latke" or potluck will be at 11 a.m. Dec. 12 at Hillel House, 608 Storer Ave. The public is welcome to share in the meal and festivities.
Information about Congregation Etz Chaim events is available by calling (479) 544-4403 or online at www. etzchaimnwa. org.
Information about events at Temple Shalom is available by calling (479) 973-2702 or online at www. templeshalomn wa. org.
EATS+DRINKS Local FlavorsCase Dighero, Contributing Food EditorDecember 2004
An Evening with Betsy and Marc Rosen
It was on a recent and particularly chilly evening in Bentonville that I found myself in the beautiful, idyllic home of Betsy and Marc Rosen – surrounded by the delightful sights, sounds and smells of close friends, children laughing and freshly prepared Matzoh Ball Soup. I have known Betsy as a casual and professional acquaintance over the past several years, as she has been a regular customer of mine through the various parties I’ve catered for her close friends and family. So, I was of course thrilled to learn during one of our typically pleasant conversations earlier in the year that we both shared an affinity for authentic Jewish cuisine. And in true fashion, it wasn’t long before I had managed to bamboozle my way into Betsy’s kitchen for a night of great food and conversation.
Like so many residents of Bentonville, the Rosen’s are transplants to Northwest Arkansas by way of Marc’s professional tenure with Wal-Mart. The couple has resided in Bentonville for almost five years, and already they have made Arkansas their home away from home with the help of close friends, southern hospitality, and the development of their small, tight-knit 22-family temple.
I showed up about an hour before Betsy’s friends were scheduled to arrive for dinner. Wasting no time at all she immediately set me to work in her spacious, well-equipped kitchen. Betsy had taken liberties with pre-preparing a Traditional Beef Brisket earlier that afternoon; the home was filled with the warm fragrances of broiled meat, glazed carrots and sweet caramelized onions. As I tied together my apron strings, I slowly opened the oven door to steal a quick peek at the large brisket that was finishing its delicate roasting process in a large broiler pan. The tender piece of meat not only smelled heavenly, but it shined and gleamed a dark, rich auburn color under the light of the oven. I could hardly contain my enthusiasm and excitement as I closed the door and Betsy summoned me to assist with the traditional Challah.
Betsy mixed a short list of ingredients in her state-of-the-art bread machine: Egg, bread flour, salt, sugar, yeast, vegetable oil, water and honey – to construct a wonderfully pliable dough that would eventually become Challah. As she took me through the technique of carefully crisscrossing three thick strands of dough to create the archetypical braided loaf, she explained that this was a very important part of her Friday routine at home. I could only imagine the memories that she was creating for her own children every Friday afternoon with the warm and nostalgic smells of fresh baked bread filling the house. After completing my final “pinch of the ends,” I lightly dusted a pizza stone with cornmeal before placing the braided dough into a 350º oven. Betsy mentioned with a wink and a nod that Challah is “…also exquisite on the second day as French Toast.”
Betsy had also made a savory Traditional Chicken Soup prior to my arrival that was simmering lazily in a large stockpot atop the stove, and she allowed me the pleasure of mixing together the ingredients for the Jewish equivalent of southern dumplings – matzoh balls. We combined all of the dry and wet ingredients, and formed medium sized balls that were then refrigerated for approximately 20 minutes and then boiled in chicken stock until expanded and uniform. I prefer my matzoh balls to be slightly al dente with a slightly firm center, and these were absolutely perfect for my taste.
Next, Betsy carefully guided me through the steps of creating a delicious rolled pasty with sweet filling called Bubbe Sheila’s Rugelach. She demonstrated in earnest how to roll the room-temperature dough balls into flat rounds before smearing the surface with a thin layer of plum jam, chopped walnuts, sugar and cinnamon. Finally, the rounds were cut into generous triangles and slowly rolled and folded into small crescent roll shapes. We then placed the sweet, doughy morsels onto a greased cookie sheet and baked at 350º until golden brown. Those of you who have never enjoyed Rugelach, you’re missing out! The small and dense rolled pastries are exquisite with coffee, tea or cordials, and always work splendidly as a dessert finger food for cocktail or dessert parties.
The doorbell eventually began to ring enthusiastically as Betsy’s friends arrived for her much-anticipated dinner. And, everything came together brilliantly as I greeted, poured (and drank) wine, and ladled generous bowls of Betsy’s delicious Chicken and Matzoh Ball Soup as a precursor to the rest of the meal. She carefully laid out the foods we had prepared together onto a gorgeous buffet. The spread also included very characteristic Potato Latkes, which had been fried earlier in the day and were served with the traditional accompaniments of applesauce and sour cream; as well as a dozen or so Chanukah Cookies that were decorated with a brilliant blue icing. Divine!
I felt appreciative and privileged when the Rosen home fell silent as most of the women present chanted the customary prayer before dinner. This kind of experience doesn’t come along everyday, especially in Northwest Arkansas, which is precisely what made this personal glimpse into the life and kitchen of Betsy Rosen all the more special.
Happy Chanukah. Merry Christmas. And, oh yes… Bon Apétit!