How to Celebrate Hanukkah in Poland

Many people associate the holiday Hanukkah with gift giving because it's celebrated around the same time of year as Christmas. But Hanukkah is first and foremost a holiday commemorating dedication and freedom. The purpose of Hanukkah is to celebrate the ability to practice Judaism freely and the victory of the Maccabees over the armies who tried to defeat them. In Poland, these ancient Jewish victories mirror the more recent Jewish victories of World War II. As the small Jewish population in Poland continues to grow, so do the ways to celebrate Hanukkah.

Instructions

Difficulty: Moderately Easy

1. Visit one of the Chabad-Lubavitch centers in Warsaw or Krakow for a public menorah lighting. The Chabad-Lubavitch movement is dedicated to providing education and activities for the Jewish community. Though there are Chabad-Lubavitch centers all over the world, Poland is credited as where the movement originated. Each year Chabad-Lubavitch centers across the globe display and light menorahs beginning on the first night of Hanukkah.
2. Fry up some Polish latkes, or potato pancakes. It's traditional at Hanukkah to eat foods fried in oil, and latkes began as a Polish tradition. It hearkens from the days when food supplies were scarce in Poland. Since there wasn't any olive oil and potatoes were abundant, the tubers were grated and fried in goose fat. The modern-day version, placki gierskie, is often stuffed with goulash.
3. Eat Polish cheese latkes. Dairy is another traditional Hanukkah food. While most people eat it in the form of sour cream on potato latkes, cheese latkes are also eaten in celebration of Judith Maccabee's bravery. Legend tells that the widow Judith seduced the Assyrian general by feeding him salty cheesecakes, which forced him to drink lots of wine. When he fell asleep, Judith is said to have cut off his head, saving her people from his army's wrath.
4. Take a tour of Krakow's historic Kazimierz district, the oldest known Jewish shetl, a predominantly Jewish town, in Europe. While there, you can visit the Jewish Museum or attend Hanukkah services at a synagogue. Krakow has seven synagogues all of which are located in the Kazimeirz district.
5. Sing the Hanukkah blessings over the menorah and tell the story of the Maccabees in memory of the inhabitants of the Warsaw Ghetto. The Jews in the ghetto gathered together in secret to celebrate Hanukkah by telling the story and lighting candles.

Tips & Warnings

• When visiting the synagogues in the Kazimierz District, it is customary for men to wear a yamulke or other head covering.