Family brings Hanukkah to hospital
The Okanagan Saturday
Laden with doughnuts called sufganityot, chocolate coins and cookies shaped like menorahs, the Hecht family made the Happy Hanukkah rounds at Kelowna General Hospital Friday.
“Whether you are Jewish or not, these traditional Hanukkah treats are delicious,” said Chabad Okanagan Centre for Jewish Life and Learning Rabbi Shmuel Hecht.
“And whether you are Jewish or not, we are saying Happy Hanukkah because our wintertime festival of light has such a beautiful message of warmth, love and infinite possibilities.”
Every year, members of the Jewish community drop by the hospital sometime during eightday Hanukkah to spread some good cheer.
The rabbi had lots of help this year with his four children, Mushka, 6, Mendel, 4, Yosef, 2, and Rachel, 1, joining him, along with his wife Frayda and their niece, Mussie, 19.
Since Hanukkah is linked to the lunar calendar, its timing skips around every year.
However, this year it falls smack dab in the middle of the Christian Christmas season from Dec. 24-31.
The simultaneousness also allowed the delegation to wish everyone a Happy New Year as they distributed goodies.
In the hallways, the kids handed out sweets and greetings to patients and hospital staff.
On the pediatrics ward, they said hello to kids and on the maternity ward congratulated new moms and fawned over newborn babies.
One of those was an as-yet-unnamed nine-pound boy whose mom thought might be the first baby of 2017.
“But he didn’t want to hold on,” said first-time mom Nicole Bourgeois with a laugh.
Bourgeois happily accepted a sufganityot, Star of David-shaped cookie and chocolate coin.
“I am a little hungry,” she said with another laugh.
Brittany Weinrauch had given birth the day before to fivepound, 13-ounce Sophia. “How nice,” she said. “I didn’t really know the story of Hanukkah, so thanks.”
Hanukkah, which can also be spelled Chanukah, commemorates how a small group of Maccabees Jews overthrew Greek army oppression more than 2,100 years ago.
It was a miracle celebrated by the Jews lighting the small bit of olive oil left over after the rebellion.
The light was only expected to last one night, but instead stretched to seven, further reinforcing the miracle.
Hanukkah mimics the marvel annually now with a sevenbranch menorah candelabra lit with candles every night of the eight-day festival.
Every night of Hanukkah, children are given a little bit of money by their parents, which they are expected to not just buy a gift for themselves after the festival, but also donate a good chunk to charity.
Chabad is the largest Jewish organization in the world with 4,500 centres in 91 countries.
Over the past week, Chabad Okanagan put on Hanukkah parties and menorah-lighting ceremonies in Vernon, Kelowna, Osoyoos, Penticton and Salmon Arm.
There was even a Hanukkah bowling night at Lake City Bowl in Kelowna.