Happy Hanukkah! Celebrating Hanukkah in Oakland and the East Bay

Happy Hanukkah (or Chanukah, Hanukah, Hannuka and the Festival of Lights) ! I wasn't raised to believe that one had to be Jewish to recognize Hanukkah, so today's a special day. Latkes! Yum! (And for the record, my Mom makes awesome Latkes and she's African American.  Unfortunately, I'm back in the Bay Area for business and she's in Georgia, otherwise she'd make them for me!)

For those who may be surprised to see this celebration on my blog and aren't familiar with Hanukkah, here's a nutshell primer.

This is the eighth day of the Festival of Light on the eve of what is called the commemoration of the miracle of the oil. Each day, one kindles the Hanukkah lights of a special candelabrum, the Menorah which has nine branches, and does this once each day for eight days (December 11th to December 19th), increasing the number of lights each evening. So for this time before sundown we kindle one light. (In the Jewish calendar the day begins at night, then starts the 1st day of Hanukkah.)

The ritual celebrates the victorious battle of the Jewish rebel army the Maccabees over the supposedly much superior Syrians in 165 B.C. and the rededication of the Holy Temple in Jerusalem. (By the way, there are many variations of this history, so chime in with any variation, if you please.)

One lights a menorah, exchanges gifts, and has food cooked in oil. Now the question is can one get a good Latke in Oakland?

Yes.

The place I visit is called Grand Bakery and its on 3264 Grand Ave just up the street from The Grand Lake Theater; the number is 510-465-1110. They ran out earlier today because of the Hanukkah rush. And sundown is nigh. So the best alternative is to make your own or visit Saul's Deli in Berkeley.

Making Latkes is easy, really. Here's a great receipe I found for Zucchini Parmesan Latkes at The Friday Flyer:

Zucchini Parmesan Latkes

Yields 24 pancakes
2 lbs. zucchini
1/2 lb. russet potatoes, peeled
1/2 Tbsp. lemon juice
1 C. chopped green onions (scallions)
1/2 C. grated Parmesan cheese
1 tsp. chopped garlic
1/2 C. chopped parsley
1 tsp. salt
1/2 Tbsp. pepper
2 tsp. sugar
1/3 C. flour
2 medium eggs
Vegetable oil for frying
Serve with sour cream

But if you have to go out in the East Bay, I annually recommend Saul's Deli, at 1475 Shattuck Avenue in Berkeley, CA. Saul's has a fantastic Hanukkah menu and a Latke tent and Beer Garden that's open until 7 PM.  And the Jewish Community Center has a Family Shabbat and Candlelighting at 5pm. The JCC East Bay is at 1414 Walnut Street in Berkeley and at 4500 Redwood Road in Oakland ; the phone number is 510-848-0237 in Berkeley and 510-530-9222 in Oakland. The JCC East Bay has a full list of daily Hanukkah events.

So as we approach sundown and you think there's no place to go in the East Bay, don't dispair! There's lot's to do and places to visit! Happy Hanukkah.