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Hanukah Happenings


It's been a packed Hanukah season in Germany it's hard to even know where to start! I don't think I have ever celebrated Hanukah so thoroughly with something going on almost every night. Unfortunately my (not so) dear camera met its end last week so I had to make do with my phone for pictures. I'll happily take advice/ suggestions for a new camera (aka please save me from camera overload).

Anyway to the important part, heres a recap of all the celebrations in Berlin:


Night 1:













The first night started off in style with, rumor has it, the largest menorah in Europe being lit at Brandenburger Tor. I have no idea how to even go about fact checking that but it was the tallest menorah I've ever seen. It was definitely an impressive sight with the Mayor of Berlin lighting the menorah using a torch and a crane (but actually) right in front of the city's most famous tourist spot.



Night 2:


Thursday night a local organization called "Studentim" planned a Hanukah food cooking class. About 20 of us got together to cook cheese and potato latkes and a whole Hanukah feast. It's quickly becoming my favorite Thursday night activity to hangout with this group of students/ recent graduates from Germany, Switzerland, UK, Israel etc. 

Fun fact: The word for latke in German is kartoffelpuffer aka potato puff











 Night 3:

For the first part of the night (really the afternoon) we did a kids Hanukah Shabbat in Friedrichshein. The children made their own dreidels, sang Hanukah  songs and then did Shabbat together. The kids even made the Menorah the week before with some salt dough (play dough) I prepared.


There's been a lot of buzz around Hanukah and Thanksgiving coinciding and it's been really fun celebrating both!  Even though I didn't celebrate Thanksgiving on exactly the right day I made up for it by having two Thanksgivingka dinners.

The first of which was actually a triple celebration of Shabbat/ Hanukah/Thanksgiving at the Greenberg's. We had the biggest Turkey I have ever seen (over 30lbs or about 15kg!). Plus amazing company at the Chabad on Campus center in Berlin.










Night 4:

My friend Shireen threw an incredible Thanksgiving potluck party. So in honor of Thanksgivingka I made sweet potato ricotta latkes. It was my fun foodie moment of the week. Again the turkey was amazing, and with 6 different kinds of pie it was hard to miss Thanksgiving in America.



Then after Shabbat I headed off to Nord Rhein Westfalen for the second half of the holiday. I'll save the rest of the Hanukah fun for another time. In the mean time I'm totally stuffed on sufganiot (I've probably already eaten about 2+ each day) and latkes and theres still half the holiday left. Wish me and my arteries luck!

Happy Hanukah!  







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