by Yocheved Schlachter

Created on: December 16, 2008

Hanukkah in Israel is an unforgettable experience. Brightly lit menorahs line the window sills, illuminating the streets below. The enticing smell of freshly baked sufganiyot wafts from nearby bakeries and the stores are packed with last minute shoppers. The excitement in the air is palpable as people rush to and fro, gathering last minute gifts and getting ready for the traditional, festive Hanukkah meals.

Hanukkah is an especially poignant time in Israel because it symbolizes her long, arduous struggle in the fight for freedom and independence, and her subsequent victory against overwhelming odds. Modern Israelis derive inspiration from the Hanukkah story and from the story of Judah the Maccabee and his brothers in particular.

Since Hanukkah is celebrated even by the secular Israelis, almost everyone in Israel lights a menorah. The result is a twinkling display of brightly burning candles from every window. Some people even try to set up their menorah using blue and white candles, the colors of the Israeli flag. At the Western Wall, in the Old City of Jerusalem, an enormous menorah is erected each Hanukkah, and people come from all over to watch as it is lit.

If you visit any bakery in Israel in the weeks leading up to Hanukkah, your senses will be bombarded with the smells of different kinds of sufganiyot. A traditional Hanukkah food, these fried donuts are the highlight of many an Israeli's Hanukkah. While the basic sufganiyah started out as a fried jelly donut, bakeries have unleashed their creativity in recent years. Some bakeries serve donuts with caramel inside, others with custard, and still others serve fried donuts with melted chocolate from an actual chocolate bar coating the top. One bakery in Israel reportedly serves over 250,000 sufganiyot each day of Hanukkah.

On any given night of Hanukkah, there are countless parties going on in every city. People gather to eat latkes, fried potato pancakes, play dreidel and give presents. In a traditional dreidel game, the dreidel has four sides, each with one the hebrew letters, 'nun,' 'gimmel,' 'hey,' and 'shin,' representing the phrase, 'nes gadol haya sham,' which means 'a great miracle happened there.' In Israel, the letter 'shin' is replaced with the letter 'pey,' for the word 'poh,' which means 'here,' because the miracle actually happened in Israel. It is customary to give what is known as 'Hanukkah gelt' to friends and family at these Hanukkah parties. That tradition has waned somewhat as people prefer to give actual presents as opposed to money. Some people give their children a small present each night of Hanukkah, while others give one big present.

Hanukkah is an exciting holiday in any country. But in Israel, in the land in which the miracle actually took place, there is an extra special feeling in the air when the holiday comes around, as Jews of all stripes and colors come together to celebrate the miracle that happened to their forefathers thousands of years before.

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