At Latkepalooza, a friendly competition precedes Hanukkah

Hanukkah officially begins on December 25 at nightfall. But Jewish families are already getting together to celebrate.

In the Temple Emanuel sanctuary, congregants sing Hanukkah oh Hannukah and Ocho Kandelikas (eight little candles). Next door in the social hall, teams of competitors are setting their tables for Latkepalooza. They're vying for the golden spatula, the coveted award for best latke.

Holy Cannoli team member Andrea Kurtz is honoring Jewish-Italian heritage with her recipe.

“It's a sweet potato latke with sweet ricotta cream and flakes of chocolate on the top,” she says.

The crispy potato pancake fried in oil symbolizes the canonical miracle of a menorah that burned for eight days on only a day’s worth of olive oil. Around the room, congregants and guests of all ages sample latkes while kids spin the dreidel for chocolate, generating warmth as a community.

“It's about Jewish pride. It's about bringing light to the darkness,” says Rabbi Charlie Cytron-Walker, who's emceeing the event.

He adds that Hanukkah is not Jewish Christmas: “It's about sharing our tradition, not only with our Jewish community, but with the world.”

Today, it’s also about intergenerational excellence. Team Little Latkes, a group of fourth and fifth-graders snatched the title with their two entries — s’mores and hamburger latkes with buns and all the fixins’.

Temple Emmanuel will host three more events celebrating Hanukkah. On Dec. 25, the first menorah candle lighting will be followed by Chinese food and a movie. On Dec. 27, congregants and guests will bring their own menorahs together for a Shabbat service, and on January 1, the eighth day of Hanukkah, the last candles will be lit over dinner.