With winter approaching, it’s time for Hanukkah, a holiday of celebration and lights!

UW students and young professionals from all backgrounds and majors are invited to a Hanukkah party sponsored by the Stroum Center for Jewish Studies and Hillel UW.

This special Hanukkah party will incorporate traditions of Jewish Sephardic culture in honor of International Ladino Day. Sephardic Jews are Jews from Spain, Portugal, North Africa and the Middle East and their descendants. The adjective “Sephardic” and corresponding nouns “Sephardi” (singular) and “Sephardim” (plural) are derived from the Hebrew word “Sepharad,” which refers to Spain.  Sephardic Jews have their own special traditions, language (Ladino), foods and songs, and we will explore some of them at our Hanukkah party.

We will light a hanukkiyah, also known as a Hanukkah “menorah,” a candelabra designated specifically for the eight Hanukkah candles, one of which is lit each night.

We will sing Hanukkah songs in Ladino (bonus if you wear a fedora to the party like this singer of the classic Ladino Hanukkah song, Ocho Kandelikas, “Eight Candles”).

And we will try tasty Sephardic fare including bimuelos (fried dough puffs). What could be bad??

All welcome! No previous experience with Hanukkah necessary!

No cost.