Hanukkah party emphasizes fun

Billed as a"communitywide Hanukkah celebration for children of all ages," the event will feature crafts and candle-lighting, dancing and dreidels.

"Hanukkah is a fun, festive holiday," said Mandy Cheskis, Chisuk Emuna's education director."This program is for the Hebrew schools from the synagogues, the Silver Academy and the Jewish Federation of Greater Harrisburg. It's one big Hanukkah party."

Hanukkah commemorates the military victory of the ancient Jews, led by Judah Maccabee, over the army of the Greek-Syrians who had denied them religious freedom.

When the temple in Jerusalem was reclaimed by the Jews, the Maccabees discovered only enough oil to light the giant menorah for one day. Instead, it lasted eight days.

Jews celebrate the event by lighting candles on a menorah, one for each night, praying in Hebrew and enjoying food cooked in oil. Many families exchange gifts each night.

Locally, the Latkepalooza celebration will include fun and food.

Participants can try their hand at a Maccabi Dreidle tournament in which they spin a dreidel — a four-sided spinning top with a Hebrew letter on each side — and guess which Hebrew letter will be showing when it stops.

They can participate in crafts and games. They also can help raise money in a 45-minute dance-a-thon to raise money for the Save A Child's Heart Foundation. This charity takes children with life-threatening heart conditions from anywhere around the world to Israel for life-saving surgeries.

"The Jewish community is raising money for an operation for a little boy," Cheskis said."The average cost of the heart surgery is $10,000. The whole Jewish community has pledged to raise this in a year.

"The dance-a-thon money from pledges and donations will go toward that."

Those at the party will eat latkes, potato pancakes traditionally fried in oil, as part of the Hanukkah celebration.

"We'll see who makes the best latkes," said Jay Steinberg, CEO of Jewish Federation of Greater Harrisburg."We have a lot of good latke makers in this community. I will be making them for my staff from my mother's recipe."

Later in the afternoon, participants will light two lights on the menorah, a ceremonial candle holder with eight branches or places for candles and a ninth candle holder set a little above the others.

"Jewish kids who celebrate Hanukkah are in the minority in most schools," Cheskis said.

"They celebrate Hanukkah, not Christmas."

She said the Latkepalooza is an opportunity for kids to come together, play games, enjoy food and raise money to help others.