Seasons Eatings

Jewish Festival of Lights means it’s time for latkes

By Sally Cappon
South Coast Beacon

The coming of Hanukkah means there will be latkes in the Santa Barbara home of Dr. Michael Bordofsky.

Hanukkah, the Jewish Festival of Lights, also written Chanukah, begins at sunset Friday and continues until Dec. 26.

During the eight days, Bordofsky, an internist, will continue the tradition from his own boyhood in Santa Barbara of making the latkes, a potato pancake usually served with sour cream or applesauce.

While Hanukkah often coincides with Christmas, varying from year to year between the end of November and end of December, the origins are far different. Hanukkah commemorates the victory by the Maccabees over the Syrians more than 2,300 years ago in Judea, now Israel.

The Syrian king ordered the Jewish people to reject their religion and customs. Judah Maccabee rebelled and he and his brothers formed an army. After three years, the Syrians were driven out, and the temple in Jerusalem rededicated. But when Judah and his followers wanted to light the eternal light, they found only enough oil to keep the lamp lit for one day.

In a miracle, after they filled the lamp, it stayed lit for eight days.

That has led to Hanukkah’s best-known symbol — the menorah, an eight-branched candleholder.

Bordofsky’s four children take turns lighting candles in the menorah each night during Hanukkah.

“It’s a mental exercise for the kids to try to figure out which nights they should choose so as to get to light the maximum total candles,’’ said Bordofsky.

Meanwhile, he generally makes the latkes since they are cooked in hot oil — which reinforces the symbolism of the oil, but can be risky for children.

“They can help with the peeling, however,’’ Bordofsky said.

Family and friends usually participate in making the latkes, he said. But while having a latke party can be fun, be prepared to spend much of the time cooking the latkes, he warned.

The Bordofskys generally eat latkes only during Hanukkah.

“We always say we should eat latkes other times of the year because they are so good,’’ he said. “But we never seem to pull it off outside of Hanukkah time.’’

Harvest festival of ‘first fruits’ celebrates cultural holiday

By Sally Cappon

South Coast Beacon

For longevity, it can’t hold a candle to 2,300-year-old Hanukkah or even Christmas, celebrating its 2003 birthday.

But another December holiday, Kwanzaa, has made enormous strides since it was founded in 1966 by Maulana Karenga as an African American celebration that focuses on traditional African values.

At Washington School in Santa Barbara, fifth-grade students of teacher Melinda Cameron will learn about the guiding principals of Kwanzaa, celebrated from Dec. 26 to Jan. 1. Principles include unity, self-determination, responsibility, economics, inner goals of benefit to the community, creativity and faith.

“We talk about each of the meanings,’’ said Cameron, who began introducing youngsters to Kwanzaa first at an elementary school in Lennox, southwest of Los Angeles, where she received a grant, and continuing three years at Washington.

“It opens their minds. They really only thought about Christmas and Hanukkah. Kwanzaa is not a religious holiday. It is a cultural holiday,’’ she said.

The festive celebration takes its name from a Swahili phrase, meaning “first fruits,’’ related to harvest festivals.

To celebrate the harvest, and for an extra treat, Washington fifth graders will get to make, and eat, a popular dish, Sweet Potato Pie. Cameron’s mother, Marilyn McGowan of Santa Barbara, will give them a hand.

This morning, children will be mixing up ingredients for the filling as well as making the pie crust. “They even roll out the dough,’’ said McGowan, who will take the pie home and bake it, returning it for an afternoon treat for the youngsters.

Learning about Kwanzaa has been a great experience for the fifth graders, believes Cameron.

“They love it,’’ she said.