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What to do every night of Hanukkah 2023 in NYC
This story will be updated with Hanukkah events throughout the holiday. Send an email to jgergely@jewishweek.org with the details if you’d like us to add yours to our list!
(New York Jewish Week) – December is already upon us, and that means Hanukkah is almost here. This year the holiday begins on the evening of Thursday, Dec. 7 and lasts through Dec. 14 — though there’s no shortage of pre-Hanukkah events around the city have already started marking the holiday.
With rising antisemitism in New York City amidst the ongoing war between Israel and Hamas in Gaza, the Jewish community needs to celebrate our light now more than ever. Whether you’re looking for a doughnut-making class, a menorah-lighting ceremony, a dance party or a dreidel-decorating session, New York’s Hanukkah scene has everything to help you celebrate the holiday.
Keep scrolling for our list of Hanukkah events across the city this year.
Pre-Hanukkah fun
Glow-in-the-Dark Hanukkah Dinner
92NY is kicking off Hanukkah a week in advance with a glow-in-the-dark dinner on Friday at 5:30 p.m in their Buttenweiser Hall. Geared towards families with children, there will be a Kabbalat Shabbat and kosher catered dinner. Get tickets for $36 here.
Hanukkah Bazaar by Tablet Magazine
Tablet Magazine is hosting a Hanukkah Bazaar from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. on Sunday at Lavan Midtown. Here, you can get all your gift shopping done ahead of the holiday: vendors include Seed + Mill, Batsheva, Ariel Tidhar, Mamaleh Jewelry, the Jewish Book Council and more. Tickets start at $18, find more information here.
Rebecca Day at the Museum of Jewish Heritage
Bring your American Girl doll to the Museum of Jewish Heritage on Sunday at 1 p.m. to celebrate Rebecca Rubin, the Jewish American Girl doll who was a Russian Jewish immigrant who lived on the Lower East Side in 1914. Activities include a latke lunch, dreidel-making, a tour of the museum and a discussion with the author of the Rebecca book series, Jacqueline Dembar Greene. The event is free but a $10 donation is suggested. Learn more here.
Havurah Hanukkah Fair
Havurah, a Jewish arts collective, is hosting their second annual Hanukkah Fair on Sunday at 6:00 p.m. at the Jewish Center on the Upper West Side. Guests will enjoy live jazz music and free doughnuts as they peruse offerings from more than 30 vendors selling art, jewelry, literary magazines and more. Find more information for the free event here.
Hey Alma Comedy Show
Our partner site, Hey Alma, is back for their holiday comedy series, hosted by deputy editor Evelyn Frick. This year’s Hanukkah show, “Hanukkuties” is on Monday at 7:00 p.m at Caveat NYC (21A Clinton St.) and features comedians Michael Cruz Kayne, Rebecca Weiser, Brandon Follick and our own Lily Lester. Tickets for the livestream start at $10, in-person at $20. Get your tickets here.
Hot Jewish Hanukkah Book Launch Party
Join our 2022 “36 to Watch” honoree Danielle Brody and Michael Valdes for the launch of their graphic novel “Hot Jewish Hanukkah,” a modern retelling of the Hanukkah story for ages 18+, featuring real-life Jewish creatives (including yours truly!). The book also features a Hanukkah gift guide and holiday recipes. The launch party, at Solas Bar (232 E. 9th St) is on Tuesday at 7 p.m. and will include sufganiyot, a DJ, latkes and dancing. Tickets start at $40 and include a copy of the book. Find more information and get tickets here.
Hanukkah Doughnut Masterclass with Pastry Chef Fany Gerson
The Nosher, our partner site, will host a livestream doughnut masterclass with Fany Gerson, the chef behind Fan-Fan Doughnuts on Wednesday at 7:30 p.m. Gerson will teach attendees how to make the dough, fry and decorate their doughnuts. Snag a ticket for $25 here.
A Roman Jewish Hanukkah Party and Schmaltzy Live
The Jewish Food Society, The Neighborhood and author Leah Koenig are hosting a Hanukkah party at the Ace Hotel Brooklyn (252 Schermerhorn Street) on Wednesday at 7 p.m. The party includes a live-taping of Koenig’s podcast, “Schmaltzy,” that will tell the story of Rome’s 2,000-year-old Jewish community and cuisine. Koenig will also be signing copies of “Portico,” her cookbook of Roman Jewish food. Tickets start at $40.
Thursday, Dec. 7: The first night of Hanukkah
Light the city’s biggest menorahs
It wouldn’t be Hanukkah in New York without attending a menorah lighting outside Prospect or Central Park. Hosted by Chabad, the free menorah lighting takes place at 5:30 p.m. in Manhattan’s Grand Army Plaza outside the Plaza Hotel and will happen every night throughout the holiday. In Brooklyn, there will be a free kickoff concert with live music and latkes in another Grand Army Plaza that is adjacent to Prospect Park at 5:00 p.m., with lighting of the menorah every night of the holiday. Find the lighting schedule in Manhattan here and in Brooklyn here.
Governor Kathy Hochul speaks with CBE
Congregation Beth Elohim in Park Slope (271 Garfield Place) will host New York State Gov. Kathy Hochul on at 6:30 p.m. for a discussion and Hanukkah celebration in honor of their “sister community,” K’far Aza, a kibbutz in southern Israel that was attacked by Hamas terrorists on Oct. 7. The event will collect donations to help kibbutz residents rebuild. Find more information here.
Oy Vey! A Night of Jewish Excellence
Celebrate Hanukkah at 54 Below (254 W. 54th St.) at 9:00 p.m. with dozens of Jewish musical theater performances including songs from “Fiddler on the Roof,” “Parade” and “Falsettos,” all performed by Jewish musicians, including our very own Lily Lester. Tickets start at $15, with a food and beverage minimum of $25. Get tickets here.
Wechsler Center For Modern Aging Hanukkah Party
Join the Marlene Meyerson JCC Manhattan (334 Amsterdam Ave) at 3:30 p.m. for an event geared towards older adults.The party includes live music, wine, an olive oil tasting, snacks and a performance by the JCC’s Modern Ager Chorus. Tickets start at $25.
Friday, Dec. 8: The second night of Hanukkah
Shabbat Family Service and Celebration of Light Party with Temple Emanu-El
Join Temple Emanu-El (1 E 65th St) for a Shabbat of Hanukkah for a service, party and dinner. The party includes crafts, face painting, LED golf, a bounce house, snacks and a retelling of the Hanukkah story. From 4:30 p.om to 6:00 p.m., young families and nursery school students are invited to join. The service will take place from 6:00 p.m. to 7:00 p.m. and a party and dinner for families with children ages 5 and up will take place from 7:00 p.m. to 9:00 p.m. Tickets — 1 per family — start at $36. Register here.
Saturday, Dec. 9: The third night of Hanukkah
Friday Night Hub Hanukkah Party
Temple Emanu-El’s Friday Night Hub will host a Saturday night Hanukkah party at 8:00 p.m. for young professionals ages 21-39. The party, held at the synagogue, will feature live music, dreidels, gifts, sufganiyot and food by Jake Cohen and Joan Nathan. Tickets start at $36, find more information here.
Hanukkah Hootenanny at East Midwood Jewish Center
Join the East Midwood Jewish Center on Saturday at 6:30 p.m. for a their annual Hanukkah party and a Havadalah celebration. Featuring music from Jacob’s Ladder Bluegrass Band and latkes, donuts and crafts, the evening has something fun for all ages. Tickets start at $40 for adults, find more information here.
The Seventh Annual Chanukahstravaganza
Say that five times fast. Comedians Lana Schwartz and Ilana Michelle Rubin will host their annual Hanukkah comedy show on Saturday at 8:30 p.m., this year at Brooklyn Comedy Collective (167 Graham Ave). The show features Jewish comedians Brandon Follick, Blair Dawson, Josh Gondelman, Anna Roisman and Anna Suzuki. Tickets start at $15.
Sunday, Dec. 10: The fourth night of Hanukkah
Crafts and Menorah Lighting at South Street Seaport Museum
From 11 a.m., head over to the South Street Seaport Museum (12 Fulton St.) for a free menorah lighting and crafts, as well as access to the museum and the 19th-century ships at Pier 16. Make a baggywrinkle, a maritime-inspired decoration, and tour the museum and ships. Registration for the free event is required.
92NY’s Hanukkah Festival: Bring in the Light!
92NY (1395 Lexington Ave.) hosts their annual Hanukkah festival on Sunday at 11 a.m. featuring crafts, make-your-own treats, a live Hanukkah game show and an Israeli folk dance performance. Tickets for the in-person event begin at $18.
Sunday Story Time: Herschel and the Hanukkah Goblins
For this week’s Sunday Story time for young New Yorkers ages 3-6, the New York Historical Society (170 Central Park West) is reading “Hershel and The Hanukkah Goblins” at 11:30 a.m. Afterwards, stay for dancing, games and dreidel-making. Tickets are free with museum admission ($24 for adults). More information here.
Hershel and The Hanukkah Goblins: An Unauthorized Parody Musical
For adults that want their own version of the “Hershel and the Hanukkah Goblins” story, join comedians Sam Clark and Gus Mayopoulos for their brand-new musical about the folktale hero Hershel of Ostropol. The laugh-out-loud performance will take place at 4:30 p.m. at Caveat NYC (21A Clinton St.) Tickets start at $10 for the livestream and $18 for in-person. Get tickets and read more about it here.
Brooklyn Conservatory of Music Hanukkah Celebration
The Brooklyn Conservatory of Music (58 7th Ave.) will host their annual Hanukkah party this year at 7 p.m. Co-hosted with The Neighborhood: An Urban Center for Jewish Life, the concert and party includes music from The Klezmer Big Band of Light and other klezmer musicians. There will also be performances by Yula Beeri, Isaac Gardner and INDIGA. The party includes latkes, karaoke, coloring and a cash bar. Tickets start at $10 for children and $20 for adults. Find more information here.
Monday, Dec. 11: The fifth night of Hanukkah
Unorthodox Comedy Hanukkah Edition
Every month, comedian Chani Lisbon hosts “Unorthodox Comedy” inside of Sixth Street Synagogue (325 E 6th St). This month, the Hanukkah-themed show takes place at 7:30 p.m., with a percentage of the proceeds donated to the IDF. Jewish comedians Mathew Broussard, Liz Glazer, Harrison Greenbaum, Elon Altman and Chani Lisbon will perform. Get tickets, starting at $36, here.
Tuesday, Dec. 12: The sixth night of Hanukkah
Hanukkah on Ice
Chabad of the West Side hosts their annual “Hanukkah on Ice” this year at 6:00 p.m. at Wollman Rink in Central Park. A $35 ticket includes access to the rink, live music, a visit with a lifesize dreidel mascot, hot drinks, doughnuts and food from Famous Pita. Learn more and buy your tickets here.
Good & Fantzye Hanukkah
Good Pierogie and Fantzye Suppers will host a Hanukkah dinner at Farm to People (1100 Flushing Ave.) from 5:00 p.m. Make a reservation for dinner featuring an a la carte menu of sweet and savory latkes, vegetarian fritto misto, market fish with spicy pickles, winter chicory salad and rugelach.
Wednesday, Dec. 13: The seventh night of Hanukkah
20s, 30s, 40s Hanukkah Party with Town and Village Synagogue
Town and Village Synagogue (334 East 14th St.) is hosting a Hanukkah party for Young Professionals at 6:30 p.m. Tickets start at $18 and include drinks, snacks and music.
Thursday, Dec. 14: The eighth night of Hanukkah
Sacred Rhythms: A Hanukkah Journey Through Breath
On the final night of Hanukkah, Shefa and The Neighborhood host a collaborative spiritual gathering in honor of Rosh Chodesh, the beginning of a new month, and the last night of Hanukkah. Taking place at Gaia NoMaya (510 Flatbush Ave) at 6:30 p.m., there will be a teaching of Jewish wisdom from Arielle Krule and vegan and vegetarian food. Guests are encouraged to wear comfortable clothing and bring a water bottle and journal. Tickets start at $36.
20s and 30s Hanukkah Party on the Upper West Side
At 7:00 p.m., the Marlene Meyerson JCC Manhattan hosts their 20s and 30s Hanukkah party in partnership with B’nai Jeshurun, Masa Israel Journey, Moishe House, The Jewish Agency For Israel, UJA-Federation of New York and Trybal Gatherings. The party features an open bar, DJ, photo booth and latkes and sufganiyot. Tickets start at $36.
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The post What to do every night of Hanukkah 2023 in NYC appeared first on Jewish Telegraphic Agency.
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Change in the Middle East? Don’t Hold Your Breath
One year after Hamas’ October 7 massacre, I noticed a cluster of articles in various sources referring to strategic realignments among some of the players in the Middle East.
For example, Zvika Klein interprets the muted responses from Egypt, the UAE and Saudi Arabia to Israel’s latest bombing of military sites in Iran as indicating that, while each country continues to give lip service to the Palestinian cause, their primary attention has shifted to restraining Iran.
Maria Abi-Habib and Ismaeel Naar come to the opposite conclusion. Noting what appears to be a possible rapprochement between Iran and rival Saudi Arabia, they see a Middle East shift in which Saudi Arabia’s interest in a normalization deal has passed, and Israel’s profile as a regional player is diminished.
An article by Aida Chávez reports that after the killing of Hamas leader Yahya Sinwar, US Congressional leaders such as Richard Blumenthal (D-CT) discussed wide-ranging Middle East scenarios, including US guarantees of Saudi security along with Saudi and Gulf State help in reconstruction and governance of Gaza.
Meanwhile, Neville Berman reminds us of the success of the Marshall Plan in rebuilding Europe after World War II, suggesting something similar for Gaza — but only after the release of the Israeli hostages and after the people of Gaza reject Hamas and the “pyromaniacal aims of Iran.”
Finally, Fahad Almasri, President of the National Salvation Front in Syria, a group opposed to the Assad government, believes that Israel’s battles with Hezbollah and Iran have won the hearts of a majority of the Lebanese and Syrian people. Almasri argues that an Arab version of NATO, led by Saudi Arabia, would reduce foreign involvement in the area (especially Iran’s) and support peaceful relations with Israel.
While these proposals may be well intentioned, I am skeptical. We have seen this movie before. Previous starring roles, for example, involved Egypt under Nasser and Syria. Who remembers the late United Arab Republic?
In 1958, when John F. Kennedy was a senator, the world was dealing with the aftermath of the Suez Crisis. America was not Israel’s close ally. In fact, the US continued to enforce an embargo on arms sales to Israel. That year Kennedy wrote the following:
Even by the coldest calculations, the removal of Israel would not alter the basic crisis in the area. For, if there is any lesson which the melancholy events of the last two years and more taught us, it is that, though Arab states are generally united in opposition to Israel, their political unities do not rise above this negative position. The basic rivalries within the Arab world, the quarrels over boundaries, the tensions involved in lifting their economies from stagnation, the cross pressures of nationalism — all of these factors would still be there, even if there were no Israel.
What was true 66 years ago is still true today.
The prominent actors in the region are the Gulf States and Saudi Arabia, all authoritarian regimes that rank far down on The Economist’s democracy index. Their influence is due to oil and gas revenues. Only 12 percent of the three million people living in Qatar, for example, are Qataris. (The same percentage applies to the UAE.) The vast majority are support workers from abroad. Qatar has been compared to a good airport terminal: pleasantly air-conditioned, lots of shopping, a wide selection of food, and people from around the world.
The Abraham Accords may yet lead to peace between Israel and all her neighbors, and adding Saudi Arabia to the Accords is laudable, but don’t get your hopes up.
Jacob Sivak, a Fellow of the Royal Society of Canada, is a retired professor, University of Waterloo.
The post Change in the Middle East? Don’t Hold Your Breath first appeared on Algemeiner.com.
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NYT’s ‘65 Doctors’ Essay Crumbles as Evidence of Embellished Testimony Mounts
The New York Times recently defended its guest essay, in which 65 medical professionals recounted their experiences working in Gaza.
The essay included graphic accounts suggesting that the IDF deliberately targets civilians, including women and children. It also featured X-ray images that were later scrutinized by medical experts for inconsistencies, casting doubt on their authenticity.
Six days after publication, amid growing questions about the credibility of these accounts and the evidence provided, The New York Times issued a statement asserting that the essay had been “rigorously edited” and standing by the contributors’ credentials. The statement further insisted, “Any implication that its images are fabricated is simply false.”
Despite this defense, more evidence soon surfaced, challenging the essay’s claims.
In The Jurist, two physicians and medical ethicists described allegations that Israeli forces intentionally targeted children’s heads in Gaza as “highly implausible,” citing ballistic evidence, medical imaging analysis, and the realities of combat. They emphasized the ethical imperative for healthcare workers to provide impartial, fact-based accounts in conflict zones.
In addition to concerns about the X-rays, HonestReporting can now reveal inconsistencies in at least one of the accounts given by a doctor featured in the essay.
Dr. Khawaja Ikram, an orthopedic surgeon from Dallas, Texas, describes treating two children, aged three and five, who he alleges were shot in the head by an Israeli sniper as they returned with their father to survey their home in Khan Younis:
However, this is not the first time Ikram has spoken to a media outlet about his experience in Gaza.
In a February interview with NBC Dallas-Fort Worth, more than six months before the New York Times essay, Ikram recounted a strikingly similar story — though with several key differences.
He described treating a man who arrived at the hospital carrying his five-year-old daughter, claiming she had sustained a “single bullet wound to the head.” According to Ikram, the father said, “We thought the troops were pulling back, so we went to check on our home. There were snipers waiting. My five-year-old daughter was shot. She’s my only daughter, please save her.”
The narrative is nearly identical to the one Ikram later gave to The New York Times, but in his earlier account, no mention was made of the additional three-year-old child who was allegedly shot. If his later testimony is accurate, we must ask why this significant detail was omitted in the earlier interview.
Despite The New York Times’ vigorous defense of the essay, mounting evidence continues to discredit both the accounts and the purported evidence within the piece.
It raises serious questions about how thoroughly the Times vetted the doctors involved. Did they even check if these individuals had shared their stories before, and whether there were discrepancies in the details?
As the credibility of the 65 doctors’ essay unravels, The New York Times cannot continue to ignore the cracks.
The author is a contributor to HonestReporting, a Jerusalem-based media watchdog with a focus on antisemitism and anti-Israel bias — where a version of this article first appeared.
The post NYT’s ‘65 Doctors’ Essay Crumbles as Evidence of Embellished Testimony Mounts first appeared on Algemeiner.com.
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Actress Ellen Barkin Calls for Nazi Persecution of MSG Owners, Death of Trump Supporters After New York Rally
Actress Ellen Barkin said on Sunday she wants the owners of Madison Square Garden (MSG) to face the same persecution Jews experienced from the Nazis during the Holocaust because the famous New York City venue held a rally for Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump during which several racist insults were made.
The “Ocean’s Thirteen” actress, whose parents are Russian Jews, also called Trump a “Nazi” and called for the death of those who attended what she called the “Nazi rally” in several posts on X, formerly know as Twitter.
“Madison Square Garden is owned by James Dolan,” Barkin, 70, wrote. “A major supporter of Nazi trump. His accomplice is one Irving Azoff. A Jew. A shonda for the goyim if ever one lived. May they suffer the pain of all who suffered at the hands of the Nazi regime.” Shonda means disgrace in Yiddish while goyim means non-Jews.
In separate posts on X, the former “Animal Kingdom” star advocated for a boycott of MSG. “Justice would be served if athletes and artists refused to play the Garden,” she wrote.
The actress compared Trump’s Sunday night event to a Nazi rally held in MSG in 1939 and also wrote, “I don’t wish death on anyone … except pedophiles and Nazis. The gangs all here at MSG.”
“I’m thinking biblical,” she added. “May the good earth beneath MSG open its fiery jaws and hurl them all straight into the burning cauldron of the 9 circles. Going down maggots?”
Dolan is the executive chairman and chief executive officer (CEO) of Madison Square Garden Entertainment Corp. (MSG Entertainment). In 2018, MSG and Azoff, a music industry tycoon, signed a joint agreement that led to the formation of The Azoff Company, which helps run the media and music venue in New York City. MSG has previously hosted both the Democratic National Convention and the Republican National Convention. US President Joe Biden held an event in March at Radio City Music Hall, which is owned by the Dolan family.
Dolan, who is reportedly a registered Democrat, is a longtime friend of Trump’s and got married at the latter’s Mar-A-Lago resort in Florida. During his speech at the rally on Sunday, Trump thanked Dolan, saying: “He’s been incredible. He’s been just incredible. The job they’ve done. The job they’ve done. Thank you.”
During the Trump rally in MSG on Sunday, stand-up comedian Tony Hinchcliffe made racist and offensive comments about Latinos, Jews, and Black people, just a little over a week away from the US presidential election. Hinchcliffe, who hosts the podcast Kill Tony, joked about a Black person in the audience, saying he had “carved watermelons” with the audience member instead of pumpkins for Halloween.
He additionally said during the rally: “I don’t know if you guys know this, but there’s literally a floating island of garbage in the middle of the ocean right now. I think it’s called Puerto Rico.” That comment sparked backlash from several Puerto Ricans in the entertainment industry, including singers Jennifer Lopez, Marc Anthony, Ricky Martin and Bad Bunny, and “The View” co-host Sunny Hostin.
Also while on stage, he said of Latinos: “[They] love making babies. They do. There’s no pulling out. They don’t do that. They come inside. Just like they did to our country.”
Trump campaign adviser Danielle Alvarez said in a statement reported by The Hill that Hinchcliffe’s joke about Puerto Rico “does not reflect the views of President Trump or the campaign.” An MSG Entertainment spokesperson told The Hollywood Reporter on Monday: “As a business we are neutral in political matters. We rent to either side. We don’t censor artists, performers, or speakers.”
Hinchcliffe took to social media to defend his joke about Puerto Rico. He responded to a clip on X of Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz (D) and Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-NY) criticizing his remark, and wrote that his joke was “taken out of context to make it seem racist.”
“These people have no sense of humor,” he said. “I love Puerto Rico and vacation there. I made fun of everyone … watch the whole set. I’m a comedian Tim … might be time to change your tampon.”
The post Actress Ellen Barkin Calls for Nazi Persecution of MSG Owners, Death of Trump Supporters After New York Rally first appeared on Algemeiner.com.
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