By: Dick Brinster
EAST WINDSOR Hanukkah is not the most important of holidays on the Jewish calendar but certainly one of the most exciting for Ben Genek and his family.
It’s a time when the family shares in all the events of the celebration that begins today at sundown. Hanging dreidels, menorahs, and Hanukkah snow globes can be seen in different rooms throughout the Genek home on Wendover Road.
"One of the wonderful things about Hanukkah is that it lasts for eight whole days," said Mr. Genek, vice president of the congregation at Beth El Synagogue.
Playing the game of dreidel is one of the most delightful parts of Hanukkah at the Oak Creek Road home of Marshall and Caryn Alter and their three sons. It’s a game that involves spinning a special top that has four sides.
"On each of the four sides of this top is a Hebrew letter that begins a word in the sentence ‘Nes Gadol Hayah Sham,’ which means ‘a great miracle happened there,’ " Mr. Alter explained. "When a player spins the dreidel, the letter that lands face up signifies what that player has to do with the coins that all the players in the game put into the pot."
The Geneks also love playing dreidel and taking time every night for eight days to stop everything else in their busy daily schedules and gather around the menorah as a family, reciting prayers and feeling thankful.
"As a family we love to celebrate Hanukkah because it enables us to remember the wonderful miracle that occurred so long ago," Mr. Genek said.
Actually there were two miracles to be thankful for, and they’re certainly important lessons of the Jewish faith, says Rabbi Jay Kornsgold.
"The first miracle was a military victory (in 165 BC), when a small group of Jews called Maccabees beat a vastly larger Greek/Syrian army which had defiled the temple in Jerusalem because they didn’t want the Jews to be able to practice their religion," he explained.
Two years earlier, the temple was taken after Syrian emperor Antiochus declared the observance of Judaism a capital offense.
"The second miracle came after the temple was retaken and the menorah had to be lit with a special oil which has the seal of the high priest," the rabbi said. "There was only one jar of oil that would last for one day and not enough time to get more, but the oil lasted for eight nights."
Mr. Genek and his wife, Andrea, who gave birth to twins, a boy and a girl, on Tuesday, cherish the spectacle of their daughters, Rebecca, 6, and Samara, 3, enjoying the buildup to Hanukkah. The children have an especially good time decorating the house for the holiday and counting down the days until they will be seeing their cousins, aunts and uncles.
And, the entire family can’t help but think about the latkes. They are slices of potatoes fried in oil.
"It’s the custom for Jewish families to celebrate the Hanukkah holiday by eating potato latkes," Mr. Genek said.
It also leads to considerable conversation among the relatives. While the latkes are cooking, the children are playing. As dinner approaches, everyone takes their seats at the table, and the big debate begins.
"Hanukkah is not the same without the annual culinary squabble," Mr. Genek said. "Should we eat the latkes with sour cream or with apple sauce? This debate is on par with the infamous syrup versus sugar topping debate heard every year at Passover regarding Matzah brye."
He said families have argued for years over the toppings. But there’s no debate about Mr. Genek’s version of the bottom line.
"No matter what you choose to put on top of your latkes, they are delectable," he said.
He’ll get no argument from Mr. Alter, although his family has another culinary fancy for Hanukkah.
"For the past few years we have also made jelly doughnuts," he said. "Eating jelly doughnuts, known as sufganyot in Hebrew, on Hanukkah is a custom that began in modern-day Israel.
"Both latkes and sufganyot are fried in oil. The oil symbolizes one of the miracles."
But there’s more to Hanukkah than food, both families emphasize. One of the ways the Geneks educate their children about the different holidays throughout the year is to read books.
The children all learn the special blessings in Hebrew school, and take great pride in reciting them with one another. And, the celebration takes on a life beyond readings and blessings, Mrs. Genek said.
"The families like to sing Hanukkah songs, dance and have fun," she said. "As the candles light up the room, everyone gets ready for the much anticipated part of the evening, opening the presents."
Another tradition in the Genek family is giving each child chocolate money called gelt. As they munch on them, the presents are exchanged.
The exchanging of gifts also is wonderful experience for the Alters.
"When our children were very young, we celebrated Hanukkah by giving each of them seven small gifts and one large gift, so they had something to open on each of the eight nights," Mr. Alter said.
But they try not to make it the overriding theme of the holiday.
"To our family, Hanukkah means gathering around the menorah to light candles, singing Hanukkah songs, smelling the delicious aromas wafting from the kitchen, and being together with our loved ones," Ms. Alter said.

