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The Weekender: Boston's Saturday Morning Newsletter
All of the lights: Ways to celebrate Hanukkah in Boston this season
Editor's Note: This is an excerpt from WBUR's Saturday morning newsletter, The Weekender. If you like what you read and want it in your inbox, sign up here.
Thursday marked the first night of Hanukkah, the Jewish Festival of Lights.
The holiday comes at a sensitive time this year. As WBUR's Simón Rios reports in this story, the ongoing war between Israel and Hamas and a subsequent rise in hate crimes has made many Jewish people in Massachusetts increasingly cautious as they celebrate this season, when a menorah in the window may attract attention.
A rabbi will tell you that Hanukkah is not the most sacred of Jewish holidays, but its meaning is special, particularly in times of turmoil. The religious story behind the holiday — in which a small vial of oil miraculously lasted for eight days — has often been used to represent personal resilience. As someone who spent their adolescent and several adult years publicly in hijab, I know remaining resilient — in times of fear and prejudice — can be harder than it looks. But in my experience, celebrating the holidays with those close to you can be all the more meaningful in times like these.
On that note, let’s dive into our Hanukkah newsletter package. We’ve got things to eat and drink, events around Boston and even some light reading to help you mark the holiday, no matter how you’re celebrating. Maybe you'll even find a new tradition. Happy Hanukkah!
If you’re staying in…
- Fans of Bon Appetit alum Claire Saffitz will be happy to see the chef has offered not one, but two beginner-friendly Hanukkah recipes for you to try this season. There’s an easy-to-knead challah and a lemon-and-olive oil bundt cake (my absolute favorite) with candied lemons. Listen to Saffitz go over the basics on All Things Considered or watch her step-by-step videos for the challah and cake.
- This week, Here & Now resident chef Kathy Gunst released her list of the year’s best cookbooks, one of which is “Portico: Cooking and Feasting in Rome’s Jewish Kitchen.” The book features recipes from Rome’s Jewish quarter, like spaghetti with tuna and tomato, lamb with rosemary and garlic and a chocolate almond cake for dessert.
If you’re going out…
- There are a number of menorah lightings happening in the Greater Boston area. The 22-foot menorah on the Common was lit on the first night of Hanukkah, but it will be up through the holiday. There will also be a menorah lighting in Boston’s Seaport neighborhood this Sunday (Dec. 10) and one in the South End, which will be accompanied by an LED light show (Dec. 12).
- The MFA has unveiled a new gallery featuring pieces of Judaica, or Jewish ritual art. The collection, titled “Intentional Beauty,” includes metalwork, textiles, paintings, furniture, and works on paper that highlight the cultural history of Jewish people, such as a 100-year-old Torah ark from a temple in Chelsea that tells the story of global migration to the Boston area. Check out a preview of the exhibit here.
- Foodies will want to make a reservation at the Maccabee Bar pop-up this Hanukkah. The Maccabee Bar is a cross between a holiday party and a nightlife hangout held at Noir, a tucked-away Cambridge bar in Harvard Square’s Charles Hotel. Here, you’ll find tasty food, cocktails and dreidel games to play through the end of December.
P.S.— NPR’s annual Hanukkah Lights series is back for its 34th year. Hosts Susan Stamberg and Murray Horwitz invite you to celebrate “family, tradition, miracles and mitzvahs” with this year’s collection of Hanukkah stories (and a special Tiny Desk performance).
