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Hillels Celebrate Chanukah
December 06, 2004Comments (0) | Add | E-mail this to a friend  With final exams on the horizon, students are taking a break from the books this week by celebrating Chanukah with Hillel. The festival of lights, which begins the evening of Dec. 7, is bringing together the Jewish communities on college campuses worldwide with dreidel spinning, community service and, of course, food.
University of Maryland Hillel and Indiana University Hillel bring their basketball rivalry to a new level by competing for the world record in dreidel spinning. Last year IU held the title for one week before Maryland bounced back with its record-setting event. IU fell short in its attempt to capture the honor on Sunday, Dec. 5, while Maryland aims to set a new record with its own event later this week.
Many Hillels combine tzedakah with their holiday celebrations. Students from University of Minnesota Hillel will bring their Chanukah party to a local elder-care facility, where they will sing Chanukah songs with the residents and lead Shabbat services. At University of Washington Hillel, students attending Chanukah Underwear Shabbat will collect packages of new underwear to be donated to the Bread of Life Mission, which serves Seattle's homeless and needy population. Cleveland students will remember the children who often go without holiday presents by bringing gifts to their Chanukah happy hour party.
Themed celebrations are always popular, such as the Hawaiian Hanukkah Meltdown at University of Georgia Hillel. Rutgers Hillel is sponsoring a "Gelty Pleasure" poker tournament and Chanukah party, while NYU students attending the Fire and Ice Chanukah party will go ice skating. Music will be the centerpiece of Hillel Rio's Chanuc Rock party, a celebration for the entire Jewish young-adult community in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.
While most people think of latkes when it comes to Chanukah food, Hawaiians also mark the holiday with malasadas (deep-fried doughnuts). Similar to the sufganiyot eaten in Israel, malasadas are a Portuguese import that is popular throughout the state. Shaloha Hillel, which serves the University of Hawaii at Manoa, is hosting a malasada-eating contest at its Hanukkahpalooza 2004 celebration this week.
Click here for Chanukah recipes.
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