Browsing tag

Hanukkah

Selling Chanukah in America

By Cassia Kisshauer
Senior Reference Services Librarian, Special Collections

Selling Chanukah in America

As Chanukah transformed in 20th century America from a smaller, home-based festival to a popular public holiday, businesses saw an opportunity to manufacture and market decorations and gifts to Jewish consumers.

In the mid-19th century, new waves of German Jewish immigrants focused on Christmas as a winter holiday, in order to…

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Celebrating Thanksgivukkah (includes “Sweet Potato Latkes with Marshmallow Topping” recipe!)

by Elli Smerling, Reference Services Research Intern, Center for Jewish History 

Official Jewish law requires 10 to be in attendance for communal prayer. Unofficial Jewish law requires that if 10 people are in a room, there must be food.

Every Jewish gathering, celebration or holiday revolves around food. You may ask: What about fast days? Well, they’re about food as well….

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Just How Special Is Thanksgivukkah?

by Aliza Schulman, Reference Services Research Intern, Center for Jewish History

This year, the first day of Hanukkah falls on Thanksgiving, creating what has become known as Thanksgivukkah. The Internet it abuzz with shirts, hats and recipes celebrating this rare event. But just how rare is it? When was the last time it occurred, and when will it happen again? This post breaks down…

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Eighth Day

by David P. Rosenberg, Senior Reference Librarian – Collections, Center for Jewish History

image

Above image: Hanukkah services for soldiers, circa 1917. National Jewish Welfare Board Records. c/o American Jewish Historical Society.

Quizzes

Prakim, a 1953 monthly program manual for synagogue activity, was published by the Union of Orthodox Jewish Congregations of America. Before Hanukkah questions, it has a passage…

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