Happy Festival of Lights from St. John’s
Chag urim sameach!
Rabbi David Orange, Reverend Sarah Culp, and Reverend Patrick Crumity led festive Hanukkah celebrations at each of St. John’s communities to mark the end of the eight-day holiday.
At St. John’s Home, residents gathered in the auditorium for an afternoon of song, prayer, and traditional Hanukkah treats. Rabbi Orange said, “Hanukkah is not even mentioned in the holy book, it is a minor Jewish holiday, but it keeps the Jewish culture and faith alive– and it is just fun!”
He asked residents, “What is important about Hanukkah?” To that, residents shouted, “Oil!” Rabbi Orange replied with a quick-witted joke, “Yes, exactly, but not the petroleum kind.”
The holiday’s focus on light and oil culminates with lit menorahs and fried foods such as sufganiyot, a jelly-filled donut, and potato pancakes called latkes. St. John’s Dining Services served residents latkes with applesauce and sour cream, which opened an excited debate about which condiment is better with the potato dish.
Later that evening at St. John’s Meadows, residents of the community as well as Brickstone by St. John’s, gathered with visiting family to enjoy a feast of bagels, schmears and spreads, and of course, latkes. Sixty-three guests filled the Briarwood Multipurpose Room for the family-style meal.