Food, music and humor highlight Hanukkah ri te

Hanukkah is known as the Festival of Lights.
By NANCY TULLIS
VINDICATOR STAFF WRITER
YOUNGSTOWN -- "Another Hanukkah's here, and with it hope and good cheer, and so a prayer for peace, and for hatred to cease for men," sang Dr. David Brown as Congregation Rodef Sholom on Elm Street began the Hanukkah season with an evening of food and fun.
Brown and his wife, Judy, attended the Hanukkah party Friday, and Dr. Brown sang the Hanukkah song he wrote 30 years ago. A retired physician, Dr. Brown noted he recently turned 81, and sang for the first time in public at Congregation Rodef Sholom in the very same room at age 4.
Hanukkah begins at dusk Sunday and continues through Jan. 2. Members said Hanukkah celebrates history, God's faithfulness and family ties.
What some members called "the best potluck of the year" followed the weekly Sabbath service.
There were plenty of latkes -- potato pancakes fried in oil -- on a table so laden with food there wasn't room to set out the desserts. Latkes are a traditional dish of Hanukkah usually accompanied by sour cream or apple sauce.
Celebrated in homes
Rhoda Mostov, children's program director, explained that Hanukkah, the Festival of Lights, is primarily celebrated in homes rather than in corporate services. Mostov said traditional Hanukkah foods are cooked in oil because the oil represents the eight-day miracle Hanukkah celebrates. The festival of lights celebrates the victory of a small band of Jews called Maccabees over the Syrians.
The Maccabees regained control of the temple, which the Syrians had defiled. They wanted to rededicate the temple and light the menorah but could not find any oil that was not contaminated.
They found one jar that had the seal of the High Priest and was not contaminated. The oil in the jar should have lasted one day, but instead lasted eight full days, so the menorah lights did not go out until they replenished the oil supply.
The children had fun making Hanukkah crafts and were anticipating the eight-day festival, which includes receiving one gift each day. The true meaning of the holiday, however, was not lost.
At school
Abigail Scharf, 5, of Poland, said she has vacation from school, but first had a Hanukkah program attended by parents, grandparents and friends. She attends Akiva Academy on Gypsy Lane, a Jewish day school for children in kindergarten through sixth grade.
"We all did some dances," she said, explaining the dances in great detail. "We light the menorah and say the three blessings."
"We remember the eight nights the oil burned," said Annie Hendricks, 10, of Youngstown. "We get presents, like clothes, or CDs," she said. "We see things all year long and say, "I'd like to have that for Hanukkah."
The Congregation Rodef Sholom Orchestra, with Rabbi Franklin Muller on bass, Jeff Simon on drums, Hilari Lipkin on guitar, Gretchen Kolovich on flute, Lisa Weiss on violin, Kathy Miller on keyboards and vocals by Bill Ambert, was an instant hit. It received standing ovations and requests for several encores after accompanying Dr. Brown on his "Hanukkah Lights" song and performing Hanukkah parody songs such as"Hanukkah in Santa Monica."
More songs
Also popular were "The Eight Nights of Hanukkah" -- eight candles burning, seven stars a-shining, six latkes frying, five golden coins -- and "Chanukablanka" to the tune of the movie "Casablanca's" signature song, "As Time Goes By:
You must remember this,
a bris is still a bris,
a chai is just a chai,
Pastrami still belongs on rye,
As time goes by.
Old shtetl customs, never out of date.
All those potatoes someone has to grate.
One flame in the window,
keep counting till there's eight
To light the winter sky.
It's still the same old Torah,
It's still the same menorah,
We've latkes still to fry.
December's when I feel most Jewish,
As time goes by.
tullis@vindy.com