Hanukkah/Chanukah - What's the Mitzvah?

Happy Chanukah/Hanukkah from the EtsyChai Team

Posted by Linda Blatchford, Team Captain

Here's a quiz: 
What is the primary mitzvah of Chanukah?   

a) Eating potato latkes (potato pancakes)
b) Giving Chanukah gifts or gelt (money)
c) Publicizing the miracle of the oil that lasted 8 days
d) Playing Dreidel  

The correct answer is C. While the customs of Chanukah include eating latkes, giving monetary and other gifts and playing dreidel, the primary mitzvah of Chanukah is to light the menorah and display the lights, thus publicizing the miracle when the oil in the menorah in the Holy Temple burned for eight days instead of one.  

Menorah Earrings by Linda B


In order to fulfill this mitzvah of publicizing the miracle, the menorah/chanukiah should be lit where it can be seen by the public. Chanukah lights were originally lit only in the doorway of the home, opposite the mezuzah, facing the street. However, it is now common practice outside of Israel to place the menorah in a window facing the street.  

Dreidel Menorah by Yafitglass


In order to make certain that the lights are visible, the menorah is lit after dusk. (There are two opinions regarding the correct time to light, so please consult your local rabbi.) On Friday evening, however, the menorah is lit before the Shabbat candles and extra oil (or longer candles) are used so that the Chanukah lights remain lit after nightfall.  

If one is unable to light at the appropriate time, one may light later in the night, as long as there is someone else in the house who is awake (thus fulfilling the requirements of publicizing the miracle).  

Kiddush Cup by April

If it is very late and no one is awake, one should light the menorah without the blessings.  

If there are still people in the street or in the apartments of a facing building who would see the lit menorah, it is permitted to light and say the blessings.  

If the menorah was not lit at all during the night, there is no "make-up" lighting during the day.  

NOTE: Please be sure to review fire safety procedures with your family.  


Zayde Mug Rug by Barb


This Jewish Treat was last posted on December 6, 2012.  

Hanukkah or Chanukkah Gift Ideas from EtsyChai

Here are some terrific gift ideas. Please visit all the shops on the EtsyChai Jewish team.

Hanukkah by Linda B.

You can find all the member shops at https://www.etsy.com/teams/5818/etsychai-jewish-team/members

Upcoming Jewish Holidays

Get ready for: 

Tisha B'Av 7/15/13
Tisha B'Av primarily commemorates the destruction of the first and second Temples, both of which were destroyed on the ninth of Av (the first by the Babylonians in 586 B.C.E.; the second by the Romans in 70 C.E.).


Although this holiday is primarily meant to commemorate the destruction of the Temple, it is appropriate to consider on this day the many other tragedies of the Jewish people, many of which occurred on this day, most notably the expulsion of the Jews from Spain in 1492 and from England in 1290. 

Star of David

Rosh Hashanah 9/4/13 = Jewish New Year - a time to start over 

Gold and Clear Swarovski Crystal Kippah

Yom Kippur 9/13/13 = Day of Atonement - repentance and forgiveness

Hebrew/English Baby Blanket

Sukkot 9/18/13  On the fifteenth day of this seventh month is the Festival of Sukkot, seven days for the L-RD... on the eighth day, there shall be a holy convocation for you. -Leviticus 23:34

Sukkot Art

Shemini Atzeret 9/25/13 evening - Shemini Atzeret literally means "the assembly of the eighth (day)." Rabbinic literature explains the holiday this way: our Creator is like a host, who invites us as visitors for a limited time, but when the time comes for us to leave, He has enjoyed himself so much that He asks us to stay another day. 

Hebrew Baby Onesie

Simchat Torah 9/26/13 evening - Simchat Torah means "Rejoicing in the Torah." This holiday marks the completion of the annual cycle of weekly Torah readings. Each week in synagogue we publicly read a few chapters from the Torah, starting with Genesis Ch. 1 and working our way around to Deuteronomy 34. On Simchat Torah, we read the last Torah portion, then proceed immediately to the first chapter of Genesis, reminding us that the Torah is a circle, and never ends.

Glass Tile Pendant

Hanukkah 11/27/13 evening - the miracle of the oil for the menorah lasting for 8 days & the battle that Judah fought to preserve Judaism. 

Hanukkah Dreidel earrings 

Visit the EtsyChai team members' shops to see more Jewish handmade creations. 

Keep watching our blog for more information about Jewish holidays and handmade gifts. 

Happy Chanukah

Shop EtsyChai for Hanukkah or Chanuka

'Lovely Judaica' by yafitglass

Explore this beautiful Judaica items. Give a gift from those gifted artists.

PEACE ON EARTH 6 pe... downtoearthcre... $36.00	Created opal teal b... Meredithbead $72.00	Purple Stained Glas... anjalicreation... $6.00
Custom Bar Mitzvah ... bbesigns $4.00	Personalized Celebr... blazingneedles $40.00	Fabric Fat Quarters... GoofingOffSewi... $3.25
Shema on Fabric (Vi... RuthFiberJudai... $19.20	The Flood Flat Magn... LauraBolterDes... $2.50	lapis lazuli crinkl... markaplan $88.88
Ring / Jewelry hold... ClayMystique $25.00	Blue Washing Cup wi... agru $45.00	Illusion Knitted Ch... acacheofjewels $10.00
Vancouver Canucks N... maybesew $26.00	Shield and Flower, ... KinorDavid $24.50	Blue Star / Flower ... gsager $25.00
Beaded Kippah - Cop... lindab142 $38.00

Treasury tool supported by the dog house

Shop EtsyChai for Hanukkah

The individual artisans who make up the EtsyChai team are ready for Hanukkah. 

Here's our first Web ad, on Mavensearch, a Jewish shopping site. 

We offer handmade, unique Jewish gifts ideas for your friends, your family members, your home, and you. 

See our member shops and buy Hanukkah gifts in plenty of time for the mail to reach you. 

B'shalom,

Linda Blatchford, Team Captain
EtsyChai team

More Latke Recipes

Here's a recipe from Meredith Laskow of Meredith Bead using Daikon Radishes in place of potatoes. Great idea for someone on a low carb diet.

Daikon Radish Latkes

2 large (~10" long) daikon radishes, peeled & shredded (food processor, not knuckles)
2 matzos, crumbled OR ~2/3 c. matzo farfel OR crumbled croutons
1 cup flour -- I used rye; you can use whatever.
1/2 TBS paprika
1 tsp. sea salt
pinch of hot red pepper (spice powder, not fresh pepper)
2 eggs

Mix well in a big bowl.

Cover the bottom of a large skillet with oil (I used grape seed oil.) Spoon out latke mixture and flatten. I fit 5 latkes in a 12" frying pan. Heat on medium-high. When the latkes are browned on the bottom, flip and brown the other side.

Option: drain on paper towels.
Yield: 16 palm-sized+ latkes (Also known as fritters, pancakes, or croquets, depending on your background.)

Eat plain; or with any of these toppings: sour cream, yoghurt, apple sauce, chutney, marmalade, fruit compote, or "whatever."

How Do You Make Your Latkes?

I love Hanukkah, and not just for presents. I love latkes. I do. I adore them. I love them enough to grate my fingers while grating the potatoes, cry over the onions, and duck when the oil pops. I even bought a food processor to protect my fingers and a splatter screen for the pan all for the love of latkes. I didn’t know people ate anything else for Hanukkah until my aunt served brisket. Wonderful brisket, so wonderful it almost overshadowed the latkes and that just won’t do. Simple foods to eat on the side of the latkes make me happy because the latkes is the star. Oh sure, I’ve seen recipes for alternatives to latkes, even a fig cake that used a healthy dose of oil but I thought “Why? Why fix something that isn’t broke? Why reinvent the wheel when the wheel works?" 

Well, I never gave latke making another thought until someone on the EtsyChai team asked for suggestions to “jazz latkes up.” Hmmm, maybe it is time for me to take a second look at my beloved latke. A bit of brainstorming ensued and here’s what we’ve come up with.
Add grated daikon radish to the potatoes.                                                                                      
Add a little sour cream or cheese like gorgonzola or feta to the potatoes for a  little zing.
Add feta cheese, blue cheese, or gorgonzola to the sour cream, or maybe some garlic, chives, or onion.
How about Greek yogurt instead of sour cream? Maybe add Romano or parmesan
cheese?  
Make a balsamic vinegar reduction to serve with the latkes.
Make a mixed fruit sauce or pear butter instead of apple sauce.

By the way, here’s Grandma Freida’s recipe, at least how I remember it.
6 large russet potatoes, peeled      2 large onions
2 eggs                             1/2 cup matzo meal
salt and pepper
oil for frying

Grate the potatoes. Place the potatoes in a strainer and let them drain for about 15-30 minutes. Place the potatoes in a bowl. Grate the onions and add to the potatoes. Add the matzo meal, salt, and pepper and mix. Heat the oil in a skillet (approx 350 degrees). Using a large spoon, place the mixture into the oil and flatten each pancake. Fry on each side until golden brown and cooked through. Remove from the oil and place on paper towels to drain. Serve with apple sauce.

Now that’s Grandma’s recipe but you can use any of our ideas. Let me know how it comes out.
Enjoy, or as Grandma would say, Es gesunta hait!
Post by Eileen Patterson aka Goofing Off.
GoofingOff Sewing Supplies, that is.

Meet Leslie Sirag

Leslie Sirag has two (count 'em, two!) Etsy shops -- The Creative Block and Findings by Leslietsy. One shop seems to feed into the other, with The Creative Block featuring Leslie's work, including steampunk Judaica, jewelry, and art dolls. Findings by Leslietsy seems to have a bit more Judaica (chais, hamsas, mogen Davids) than The Creative Block, as well as plenty of charms, pendants, and new and vintage findings.

Emma Art Doll Spirit from the Triangle Shirtwaist Factory Fire

Leslie's friend, and another Etsy seller, Laura Bartlett, suggested Leslie give Etsy a try. As a result, The Creative Block opened in 2006, with Findings by Leslietsy following in 2008. Not long after, she joined Etsychai. When asked how long she's been an Etsychai member, she answers quizzically, "Unsure. But I think since 2008 or 9?"

Leslie tells us, rather than consciously choosing a craft, her craft chose her. "I've made dolls and jewelry as long as I can remember."

A woman of many skills, Leslie has also knitted, woven, and crocheted. Outside the fiber arts, she's also worked with clay, both handbuilding and throwing on the wheel. As if that isn't enough, she has also made china and porcelain dolls.

Steampunk Judaica Earrings

To continuously come up with ideas, Leslie uses just about anything for sources of inspiration, "materials, stories, nature, (and) other people's work."

When inspiration just isn't happening, she sorts her work materials and tries to organize her workspace, since she always finds "great stuff". If she's at a standstill, she makes a series of something simple, such as earrings, to keep her local selling space supplied. That local selling space, by the way, is a coffee shop in Olympia, WA, which she says works better for her than any store she's ever sold in.

She also does a few arts and crafts fairs annually, to round out her sales. But she admits she'll be cutting back on the fairs, since they are "too much" for her overly busy schedule.

Vintage Chai Pendant Assortment

Living in an area with few Jews, Leslie finds Etsychai, to some extent, fills her need for a Jewish community. She expands her virtual community with membership in at least eight other Etsy teams. She tells us, "There may be more; but those are the ones in which I actually participate, at least from time to time."

Even with her admittedly "poor" management of time, she also works hard at promoting her shop. How?

"I list or reslist items frequently. I'm experimanting with etsy's new search ads, which seem to help Findings a bit, but get The Creative Block fewer hits than when I don't use them. I hand out a LOT of cards locally, at craft fairs and at the coffee shop that sells my work. I of course enclose a card with every order I fill. I have the monthly drawing on the Findings FB page. I post treasuries, some new items on my FB page & occasionally to freinds.  When I have time and energy, I post work in progress on my blog--also commissioned work.  I don't do enough social networking, but it already cuts into work, sleep, and reading time."

Which does she find most successful? "Frequent listing and relisting at various odd hours."

Wing and a Prayer Earrings

Her advice to Etsy sellers is lengthy, but worthwhile, "Don't list everything at once: if you're listing a bunch of work, do one every half hour--you get more views that way, Take the best pics you can, & redo from time to time. Use all 5 you're allowed--it keeps people on your page longer, which apparently makes them more likely to buy. Remember that that little square is what someone sees to click on--make your main piuc for each item yell. It doesn't even have to be the best one overall--just one that screams "look at me!"  List and relist as often as possible, and if something hasn't sold by the end of a listing, change the lead photo. Ask all your freinds and relatives to visit your shop, click on and favortie items--this improves where you show up in google listings.Join a couple of teams--at least one local & one (or more) special interest."

She stresses photos are important. Her preferred camera is her Olympus Camedia 7000D, a simpler camera with a fairly decent close-up lens. For her supplies shop she prefers simple black and white backgrounds.

She tells us, "I've just purchased a little photo lightbox/studio from Anne Keller-Smith, a member of Etsychai, and am beginning to be able to use it to improve my pics."

She's still trying to figure out the best way to hang long necklaces for optimal photography. Any suggestions?

Color Blind Hummingbird Finds Nectar in Dark Blossoms Necklace

Leslie has an enormous online presence. You can find her on her Blog, Facebook, on CouchSurfing.com as Leslie Sirag, and on several yahoogroups.

Check out her shops! You might just find something perfect for someone else (or even yourself!).

Chain of Hamsa

-- Post by April Grunspan of AgruArts

Hanukkah Chanukah Candle Lighting Website - Live 12/20

Hanukkah starts at sundown on 12/20. If you're still looking for gifts, see our team shops and ask the owner to expedite the order.

Happy Hanukkah

This is a press release from the Israeli Ministry of tourism.

Website visitors can light candles, learn about Israel
and win a free trip 

New York - December 14, 2011: To mark the upcoming Chanukah holiday, which begins on the evening of December 20, the Israel Ministry of Tourism is re-launching its popular Chanukah microsite where visitors can log on and light virtual candles for each night of the eight-day holiday, also known as the "Festival of Lights." The site was developed in 2009 to gauge the interest of online users. The Chanukah website was developed in cooperation with the Conference of Presidents of Major American Jewish Organizations and will "go live" at www.goisrael.com/Chanukah on December 20, 2011. The landing page is up now where participants can register and learn more.

With each candle "lit," visitors to the Chanukah website will be able to access more information about travel to Israel, with a particular focus this year on Israel's diverse museums and major cultural institutions. And at the end of the holiday, site visitors who have lit all eight candles will be entered to win a free trip to Israel aboard EL AL Israel Airlines, to experience the country's many areas of cultural, religious and historical interest for themselves.

"The site is much more than a way to win a trip to Israel--it provides a unique tool for visitors to learn more about exciting sites in Israel, as well as the history and meaning of Chanukah," says Haim Gutin, Israel Commissioner for Tourism, North and South America. "And we are delighted to have the backing of the Conference of Presidents, as well as EL AL, for a promotion that links celebrating Chanukah with vacations in Israel."

For more information, please visit: www.goisrael.com.

Received by email - posted by Linda B, lindab142.etsy.com

Meet Anne Keller-Smith

Anne Keller-Smith is the owner of  Down to Earth Creations, an Etsy shop selling Hebrew name bracelets, dreidel and menorah charms, kippot (yarmulkes), and Judaica wine charm sets. Having majored in Anthropology, Anne's style has an earthy feel to it. She refers to her work as "natural, gypsy, folksy, hippie..."
In addition to Anthropology, Anne also took many courses in the Liberal Arts, a contributing factor to the art she creates today.

Eshet Chayil Bracelet

 How did she begin creating jewelry? Anne tells us, "I fell in love with crystals and silver all of a sudden, and couldn't stop working with it."

Today she continues to use sterling silver, Swarovski crystals, glass from the Czech Republic, and has added pewter, copper and other interesting materials into her pieces. Pewter and copper were added partially due to cost considerations, since sterling silver has become prohibitively expensive for some Etsy customers.

Hashamayim Kippah

Anne joined Etsy in 2007 when she found out about it from a friend who was also a vendor. A couple of years later she joined the Etsychai team. Even though she's a member of a couple of other teams, she admits she's more active with Etsychai.

"Etsychai is a wonderful, energized, friendly, haimish Jewish group and, since joining, my sales have increased! So I'm a fan!"

Sterling Silver Dreidel Earrings

Of course, getting the word about her shop out there doesn't end with Etsychai. She also promotes using Facebook and Twitter, makes treasuries in Etsy, and will sometimes blog. When asked about which tool seems to be the most successful, she confesses, "Facebook was pretty successful for me. But I haven't spent enough time on my Creations page. I always end up on my personal page."

In addition to her Etsy shop, Anne sells her jewelry at a local handmade gallery and, as if all that selling isn't enough, she also designs websites.

How does she budget her time? Another confession: "Badly!" (We completely understand!)

Hebrew Letters (Custom) Bracelet

As we like to do with all our interviews, we asked Anne for advice she could pass along to other Etsy sellers. The first part is directed at newer sellers. She tells them, "Be very careful to plan to be sustainable from the beginning. In other words, charge four times your supply cost. This covers your materials, labor, advertising, and overhead. If you don't, you'll start resenting how little you're making and won't continue."

She continues, "Make sure you find a unique niche. It's the only way to get seen on Etsy, because Etsy is too big now."

We also asked her about photography, a key ingredient in any listing. "I use a second hand EZ cube light box with two to three lamps surrounding it. I move the lights around my object. Sometimes I take photos on the patio -- silver likes natural light the best. Crystals like the artificial light."

She goes on, "I use a $200 Canon SX-110 with a decent macro lens. I get right up on top of my pieces and try to crop in really close. For my first pic I try to get a really interesting shot that shows how unique the piece is: a unique angle, a unique reflection, the shape of it. For my second pic I get the whole item from above. Third and fourth are other angles a person might experience while using the piece. The fifth is either the piece being worn or the packaging I use."

Passover Wine Glass Charms

For the upcoming holidays, and your gifts list, Anne has some fabulous pieces, and they can still reach you in time!

-- Post by April Grunspan of AgruArts

Meet Penny Stern

PenelopeStern is one of our "homeys" as an artist residing in Ra'anana, Israel. She describes her shop as a "fun, colorful place, full of unusual and one of a kind pieces." Just one visit and you'll see this is a completely perfect description. She works in sterling silver, polymer clay, semiprecious stones, and yarn.

Sterling Silver Flower Bracelet

Her love of creating began with her late mother, who not only encouraged her to excel in school, also took the time to do crafts with Penny with household items such as cereal boxes, toilet rolls, paint and, in Penny's words, "lots of glitter."

Knitting since she was 5 years old, Penny found she hated being idle, so she also began studying silversmithing once a week for the last 3 years. As for polymer clay, she admits that is mostly self-taught, although she's attended workshops by local and international artists in recent years.

Sterling Silver Garnet Pendant Necklace

With so many crafts, and so little time, Penny is honest about having difficulties budgeting her time. Her goal is to create a few new items a week, photograph, list and promote. "But what with housekeeping, cooking for the family, trying to fit some exercise in every day, running errands, etc., it doesn't always work out." (We understand completely, Penny!)

She found out about Etsy when she was on a polymer clay website forum and noticed many of the members were discussing their Etsy shops, so she decided to investigate. One thing led to another and she joined Etsy as a seller in December, 2007.

Knit Ruffle Scarf

As one of the original members of Etsychai, she tells us why this team is important to her, "Etsychai is important to me as I enjoy feeling part of a community, especially one that has  Jewish content. The group is not too big, which means that I can have a sense of who everyone is here, and hopefully vice versa. The team works very hard at promoting each other, and I enjoy seeing what everyone makes, especially in their Judaica sections."

Inspiration for Penny is no problem. She tells us, "Inspiration is everywhere! I can't get my ideas out fast enough! Magazines and craft books are a huge inspiration. Having a mooch around all my supply shops really gets my creative juices flowing."

Polymer Clay Chamsa

With a strong presence on Etsy (in addition to Etsychai, she belongs to five other teams), as well as memberships in Facebook, Twitter, and a strong presence on the Etsy forums, she finds her most successful sales tool is still the simplest: proper tagging of her items.

As usual in these interviews with our members, we asked Penny for her advice to new and current Etsy sellers, since you can never have too much of a good thing.

For new sellers, she recommends spacing out listings to one or two new items a day. She says, "Don't expect your sales to really get going until you have about 100 items in your shop.I think that it is also a really good idea to write a blog, something which I hope to start doing in the coming year."

As for her photos, she had a novel approach to this most important aspect of selling on Etsy, "I had a professional photographer come to my studio and show me how to use the available light, set up a background and figure out the right settings on my camera. This helped me enormously."

Penny is also fortunate enough to have her work exhibited and sold in the Cecilia Colman Gallery in London. We're fortunate enough to have her on Etsy, so we don't have to travel thousands of miles to purchase her wonderful work.

Smoky Quartz and Garnet Sterling Silver Earrings

-- Post by April Grunspan of AgruArts

Handmade Hanukkah Collection

Here's a Hanukkah collection of items in an EtsyChai Treasury selected by Eileen of Goofing Off so you can finish your Chanukah shopping.

Click and see the wonderful handmade items here

Thanks, Eileen.

Meet Christine Lumbroso

When I look at Christine Lumbroso's Beads of Paradise shop it makes me think living next to the Mt Hood National Forest probably contributes a good deal of inspiration to her life and work. She moves from medium to medium, sorking with silver jewelry, watercolors, and handpainting breadboards. When asked, she speaks about her shop's diversity, but says her favorite common thread is, "I LOVE bling! BLING BLING BLING!"

Blue Moonstone Sterling Silver Wire Wrapped Pendant

A typical story from many Etsy sellers, Christine has been making art since she could work, always going to arts and crafts stores, working on projects being promoted at the time. She says, "I never had the opportunity to officially study art; but I pick every artsy brain that I come in contact with, I read library books about art, and I check out classes on the web. I am always learning."

Her love of jewelry making began because she wanted some pieces that were real and not made in China. She made a few items for herself and found people wanting to purchase them from her when she wore them. After doing some research, she found wholesale sources for her supplies and began wearing and selling her pieces.

Polished Glass Judaica Bracelet with Hamsa

Making art connected her to other artists which, in turn, made her interested in other forms of art. She began playing with pen and ink drawings, oil painting, and watercolors. So, in addition to her ever evolving jewelry designs and materials, she's recently added painted wooden breadboards and prints of her paintings as cards to her shop.

Chanukah Kislev Original Watercolor Print

In 2009, Christine's daughter introduced her to Etsy, and she's been buying and selling on it since then. Soon after that, she was invited to join the Etsychai team. Shen speaking of EtsyChai, she says, "EtsyChai has been my mentor, my Etsy parents. When I first started, I had no idea of how things worked, and the team has been such a big help in teaching me the ropes, and all about promotion. I LOVE being part of a great team of artists!"  

In addition to Beads of Paradise,  Christine also sells show dog leashes made of kangaroo leather and beads in her other Etsy shop Kangalulu. Additionally, she sells jewelry and accessories for dog lovers, tutors children and the disabled, and teaches music classes.As if that isn't enough, Christine and her husband write and perform music with a small band, recently having put out their first CD album.

When asked how she budgets her time, she admits, "I am terrible at budgeting anything...especially time! I find my artsy self with my head in the clouds tending to do what I feel like doing whenever I can get away with it."

However, she sets aside one day a week for art after she's done her basic house chores to "keep my family happy."

Carnelian Sterling Silver Wire Wrapped Ring

 As with our other featured artists, Christine has valuable advice to other etsy sellers, new and old. For new sellers, she advises, "Patience, patience, patience. Just keep plugging and join a team!" She also says, "I think it has helped me to have a variety of different items of varying prices, so there is something for everyone."

When asked about photos, she concurs with everyone else saying, "Make sure to have good pictures!"

We asked her to elaborate, and she did, "I asked some of my fellow Etsy folks that had good pictures and someone recommended that I get a good camera with a SUPER MACRO. He pointed me to a refurbished FujiFilm FinePix and this camera has been terrific for me! I rarely even have to touch up the photos, and they are ready to go. I take all my pictures in the morning near my big picture window so I get natural daylight. I try taking the pictures from different angles. I experimented with several backgrounds to find the right thing that will accent the jewelry."

Star of David, Aventurine, & Moss Agate Sterling Silver Necklace

 As for the all-important promoting, she gets resutls by passing out her business cards everywhere, does several shows a year, and is an active user of Facebook and Twitter. Happily, she's also a paid member and active participant in EtsyChai. (Thanks Christine!)

As the season of gift giving approaches, visit this, and all the other EtsyChai shops to find that special gift for that special someone.

Braided Kangaroo Leather Necklace

-- Post by April Grunspan of AgruArts