Hanukkah

The Festival of Lights

Hanukkah commemorates the miraculous tale of the independent corps of Jewish fighters called the Maccabees. On the 25th of Kislev in 165 BCE, this small group of brave men, led by Judah of the Hasmonean family of Temple priests, rose from the town of Modi’in to defeat Antiochus IV and his Greek Seleucid armies. The Maccabees triumphantly reclaimed the Jewish Temple in Jerusalem and the land of Judea. The root of the word Hanukkah means “dedication,” which refers to the rededication of the Jewish Temple to G-d and the Jewish nation after its prolonged desecration by the Seleucids.

Before the Maccabees’ victory, Antiochus had ordered a campaign of mass Hellenization. Greek culture and thought were forced upon the Jewish inhabitants of Judea. He banned the celebration of Jewish festivals throughout Judea and even erected a statue of Zeus in the Jewish Temple. Gymnasia were set up instead of schools of Jewish learning. Men were forced to eat pork, and swine was sacrificed on the altar of the Jewish Temple. It was truly a miracle that the family of Maccabees was able to vanquish the great forces of Antiochus.

The precise miracle that led to the ­age-­old custom of lighting an ­eight-­branched candelabra (menorah in Hebrew) had to do with the scarcity of pure olive oil in Jerusalem when the Temple was recaptured by the Maccabees. A large menorah was kept lit at all times in the Temple. Once his men retook the holy grounds of the Temple, Judah immediately sought to light the menorah. However, the supply of olive oil at the Temple and throughout Jerusalem was contaminated by unclean Greek hands and was not acceptable for sacramental use. Judah’s men found only a single sealed jug of oil, barely enough for one day of burning. Because it would take eight days to press new oil, the priests despaired that there would not be enough to keep the flames of the menorah burning. ­Twenty-­four hours later, when the priests expected the menorah lights to be extinguished, they discovered that it was still lit. This miracle lasted a total of eight days, and then pure oil was added to the menorah to keep it burning perpetually

Seeing the menorah gloriously aglow and under Jewish control once again was a triumph for the Jewish people in ancient times. To fulfill the requirement of publicizing that wondrous miracle, Jews light menorahs and place them outside their door front, or in a place inside their homes visible from outside, so that the burning lights are conspicuously on view. The menorahs are kept to the left of the front doorways because on the right is the mezuzah (a case attached to the doorposts of a house, containing a scroll inscribed with sacred passages). A person who enters the doorway will thereby be surrounded by mitzvot (religious obligations).

Aleppian Jewish women have a custom of refraining from doing any chores during the time that the menorah is lit. Also, because oil is the miraculous component of this holiday, Jews eat dishes that are fried in oil. Aleppian Jews partake of ejjeh batata (Potato Fritters, page 220), the wonderfully decadent ‘ataiyef (Stuffed Syrian Pancakes, page 258), and zalabieh (Fried Pastry Balls with Sugar Syrup Glaze, page 250). Cheese is traditionally eaten in honor of Judith, the heroine who tempted the Seleucid general Holofernes with cheese and wine. Holofernes heartily accepted Judith’s offerings and fell asleep after becoming quite sated. Judith then killed him in his sleep. The deceased general’s troops fled the battle camp upon hearing of Holofernes’s death, bringing a Jewish victory in Jerusalem one step closer.

Those in the Aleppian Jewish community who originated from Spain have an especially unique Hanukkah custom. When lighting the menorah, they light an extra candle. The custom originates from the time that followed the 1492 Edict of Expulsion (see page 3). Jews from Spain journeyed east to the lands of the Ottoman Empire in the hope of finding tolerant lands. After safely arriving in Aleppo, having survived the tribulations of oppression and expulsion, these Spanish Jews lit an extra candle in recognition of the miracle of their safe arrival in Aleppo and the tolerance and brotherhood they found there.

‘Ataiyef

Stuffed Syrian Pancakes


‘Ataiyef is not your ordinary Sunday morning pancake. Filled with ricotta cheese, ­deep-­fried, dipped in chopped pistachio nuts, and topped with shira (Fragrant Aleppian Dessert Syrup), it is more like a ­five-­star dessert. Aleppian Jews eat ‘ataiyef on happy occasions such as engagement parties.

These pancakes are one of the dairy foods customarily eaten during Shavuot (Festival of the Giving of the Torah). King Solomon’s “Song of Songs,” particularly the words “honey and milk are under your tongue,” inspired this dish. The sweetness of shira shares a symbolic connection with the sweetness of the Torah, which the Jews received on Shavout. ‘Ataiyef is also served on Hanukkah because it is fried, and thus symbolizes the miracle of oil celebrated on that holiday.

While this recipe offers a way to make the batter from scratch, you may find commercial pancake mixes more convenient than homemade.

Batter:
  • 2 cups ­all-­purpose flour
  • 1 teaspoon baking soda
  • 1 tablepoon sugar
  • ½ teaspoon baking powder
    		•
  • ½ teaspoon salt
  • 1 large egg, lightly beaten
  • 1 cup ricotta cheese
  • 1 cup vegetable oil
    		•
  • 1 cup shira (Fragrant Aleppian Dessert Syrup, page 249)
  • 1 cup pistachios, shelled, blanched, peeled, and finely chopped (see page 310)
    		•
    1. Preheat a griddle pan over medium heat. Wipe the pan with a paper towel dipped in vegetable oil.
    2. Combine the flour, baking soda, sugar, baking powder, and salt in a large mixing bowl. Add the egg and water to the mixture. Stir the mixture until the batter is smooth and there are no lumps.
    3. Make the pancakes by pouring the batter, 1 tablespoon at a time, onto the griddle. Shape the batter into 3-inch-wide pancakes, much like a thin crepe. Cook on one side only. Remove the pancake when bubbles appear on its surface. Keep the cooked pancakes moist by covering them with a clean towel.
    4. Place 1 teaspoon ricotta cheese in the uncooked center of each pancake. Fold the pancake in half and pinch the sides firmly closed. Fill the pancakes as quickly as possible so they do not dry out. (At this point, the pancakes may be frozen for later use.)
    5. In a medium saucepan over medium heat, heat the vegetable oil until it sizzles upon contact with a drop of water. ­Deep-­fry the filled pancakes in batches for 3 minutes, or until brown. Coat the fried pancakes in the cold shira. Dip the point of each pancake in pistachio nuts. To ensure a crispy texture, place the pancakes on a tray in a single layer; do not stack or cover them.
    Variation

    For a non-dairy version, combine 2 cups finely chopped walnuts, ½ cup sugar, and 1 teaspoon cinnamon and substitute for the ricotta.

    Yield: About 4 dozen pancakes