Chanukah Events
This section contains information on how to plan and run a variety of Chanukah events at your Chabad center or another location. (For public menorah lighting information visit the Public Menorah Lighting section.)
Virtual Reality - Latke Taste - Sponsored Latkes - Wine, Cheese - Jewish Heritage Night
Virtual Reality Chanukah Experience
During a Virtual Reality (VR) Chanukah Experience, participants put on VR headsets and enjoy a prepared VR experience.
This can be an exciting, state-of-the art event; the downside is that typically you’d need a VR headset, such as the Oculus Go, for each participant. These can range in price from $200-$500 each, so it may be worthwhile to look into renting them or borrowing them from a community member.
Rabbi Benjy Silverman of Dobbs Ferry, NY has put some work into creating such a program. He can be contacted for more information and pricing via email at benjysilverman@gmail.com or text/WhatsApp (914) 330-1307.
Latke Taste Testing
An inexpensive way to create a public Chanukah event can be to partner with a local store to host a latke taste testing event. One chain store that has consistently partnered with shluchim to to host latke taste testing events is Whole Foods.
Here’s how to prepare for such an event:
Call or email a local store manager. Here’s a sample text you can use:
Good afternoon, NAME,
I’m Rabbi NAME with MOSAD NAME.
With Hanukkah approaching, we’d like to partner with STORE NAME to host a latke-tasting event on DATE. This will serve to raise awareness of the holiday and promote STORE NAME’s Hanukkah offerings to the Jewish community in advance of the holiday.
MOSAD NAME would take care of preparing the food items and setting up at STORE NAME, and STORE NAME would provide the food items for the event, including [LIST WHAT YOU’D NEED: X cases of latkes, soft drinks, applesauce etc.]
Let me know whether this is something STORE NAME will be going ahead with this year. Thank you!
SIGNATURE
Prepare for the event. Plan to heat up or cook the latkes on the day of the event; easiest if often to heat them in the pans you’ll be serving them.
Prepare a box of items to bring along; depending on what the store provides, you may need to bring tablecloths, plates, cups and cutlery and possibly folding tables. The store may be able to provide these; make sure you know in advance what they’re providing.
Take along sterno racks and fuel to warm the latkes, as well as Chanukah decorations, menorahs brochures, and any flyers you’d want to distribute.
Obtaining Sponsored Latkes from Trader Joe’s
Trader Joe’s will often agree to sponsor latkes for your Chanukah event. You should call your local Trader Joe’s at least a month before Chanukah, to give them time to get the extra latkes in stock. They may require a nonprofit letter, but some do not. Here’s a sample request letter you can send them via email:
DATE
To whom it may concern,
In honor of the holiday of Chanukah - the Jewish festival of lights, MOSAD NAME is hosting a community-wide celebration on DATE at PLACE. We would like to ask you to donate the latkes — potato pancakes — for this event.
We are requesting 200 potato pancakes (25 boxes) and 4 jars of applesauce.
MOSAD NAME is an educational outreach organization, providing an array of programs, classes and events for adults and children. With this in mind, we are hosting the above-mentioned Chanukah event to help educate and spread a message of hope and unity in our community.
Our 501c3 Tax ID # is NUMBER
Thank you for your generous sponsorship of educational community holiday events!
Sincerely,
SHLIACH NAME
Women’s Pre-Chanukah Evening: Wine, Cheese and Custom Cards
A wine-and-cheese event and card-making event for women can be a classy way to launch the Chanukah season.
Promote the event:
Here is an example promotional email courtesy of Chabad of Oregon.
Here is a link to a sample flyer for a wine and cheese singles event.
Prepare for the Event:
Cheese: The Customer Service at Haolam Cheeses can be very helpful in selecting the types
and amounts of cheeses to buy. (718-965-1700, customerservice@worldcheeseco.com)
www.worldcheeseco.com (Haolam) contains a complete listing of all of their cheeses, as well as
a great selection of recipes for delectable dairy appetizers, soups and salads.
Natural & Kosher (OK supervision) can be contacted for a listing of their ever growing Cholov
Yisroel Line: 516-747-2210, anderson@aifoods.com.
Wine: Shluchim living in areas with no kosher wine store may be pleasantly surprised by the response of the local non kosher wine store upon requesting that they order and carry a selection of kosher wines.
Admission: As this was more of an exclusive evening, we were able to charge a suggested
donation of $36.00 per couple, something which we are unable to do with almost all of our
other programs.
Flyers: Customizable flyers for your wine and cheese event can be found at
http://www.shluchimdesignbase.com/search/wine%20and%20cheese
Inspirational Message: A dvar Torah relating to wine and cheese can be found at
http://www.shluchimexchange.com/en/article.html?h=1748&o=2836781
Press Release
Courtesy of Chabad of Kensington, here is an example press release you can use to promote your event to local media.
Wine and Cheese Tasting Brings New Chanukah Flavor to Chabad
Led by Rabbi and Mrs. Moshe Chabad of New York gave the miraculous story of Yehudis and General Halifornus a new flavor with an elegant “Wine and Cheese Tasting” evening.
The evening opened with guests milling around the beautifully set buffet stations, sampling from selections of gourmet cheeses and fine wines. Each cheese on the cheese buffet was tastefully set up with a brief description on the specialties of that particular cheese, highlighting its uniqueness. The beautiful array of crackers and plentiful supply of miniature cheese forks enabled guests to differentiate between each of the cheese varieties.
The proprietor of a local wine store donated his time and expertise in distinguishing fine wines, guiding guests in comparing samples of the wines of their choosing at the open bar-style table. Additional dairy dishes and latkes were also in plentiful supply as guests mingled and enjoyed the camaraderie of this distinctive evening.
After a meaningful Chanukah Menorah lighting, a specially chosen video of the Rebbe was featured on a large screen, followed by inspirational Chanukah remarks by a guest speaker.
Jewish Heritage Night
Coordinating a Jewish Heritage Night at a local sporting event can bring Chanukah to tens of thousands of people at little to no cost to you.
Typically, NFL (football), NHL (hockey) and NBA (basketball) will all have games during Chanukah. Teams will often host themed nights during games, which encourages various members of their fan base to come to games. That’s where Jewish Heritage Night comes in.
Here’s what to do:
Find a potential local host
Here is a list of NHL teams.
Here is a list of NBA teams.
Here is a list of NFL teams.
If you don’t have teams in these leagues in your city, check whether one of their minor league affiliates play locally.
Here is a list of NBA’s G-League affiliates.
Here is a list of NHL’s AHL affiliates.
Here is a list of NHL’s ECHL affiliates.
Merkos 302 has a webinar featuring shluchim who succeeded in getting a Jewish Heritage Night in their cities. Topics include:
The Rebbe and the first Jewish Heritage Night
Getting into the venue
The "Financials" of Jewish Heritage events
Getting the community involved
And more
Make the request
You should be in touch with your local team long before Chanukah, as they will likely have their schedules prepared many months in advance. Go to the team’s website, find their contact page, and call or email a member of the front office.
If this is the first Jewish Heritage Night for this team, it may be helpful to provide examples of other teams who have hosted one. You can find many such examples here, here, here and here.
Some things you can offer/request to take place during Jewish Heritage Night are:
A menorah lighting during an intermission: (NHL has two 18-minute intermissions between periods. NBA has a 15-minute halftime. NFL has a 13-minute halftime.) Time is at a premium, so you can expect to be given a specific number of minutes and seconds for the menorah lighting — don’t go overtime!
Kosher concessions: You may want to offer to coordinate a kosher concession stand during the game.
Discounted tickets: You can request that the team make a certain number of discounted tickets available for purchase by the Jewish community.
Merchandise: You can offer to coordinate to create themed team t-shirts or other merchandise.
Get the word out
Once the team has agreed to host Jewish Heritage Night, get the word out to your community and local media! Here’s a press release prepared by Rabbi Chaim Wilhelm for JHN at the Portland Trail Blazers basketball game:
For immediate release:
Contact: Chaim Wilhelm
971.801.2424
Chanukah Jewish Heritage Night @ Moda Center - December 28th, 2016
Chabad of Oregon and the Portland Trailblazers are once again partnering together for
Chanukah Jewish Heritage Night, Portland's largest Chanukah event at the December 28th
basketball game in the Moda Center that pits the Blazers against the Sacramento Kings. The two pro teams will duke it out on the fifth night of the Jewish Festival of Lights.
Chanukah Jewish Heritage night will feature a grand halftime Menorah Lighting, pre-game Chanukah party, a T-shirt give-away with “Trail Blazers” emblazoned in Hebrew script, and a possible meet and greet with the Sacramento Kings small forward Omri Casspi, the first Israeli selected in an N.B.A. draft and a proud Jew who organizes an annual NBA Israel trip.
"Many young people wonder whether Judaism is current; Chanukah at the Rose
Garden is testimony that the Jewish soul and message are present even in today's die-hard Blazers fans,”, says Rabbi Chaim Wilhelm of Chabad of Northeast Portland, the event’s coordinator. “We look forward to bringing Jewish Heritage night back to the Moda Center and sharing Jewish culture with Trail Blazers fans in the city of Portland” said Andrew Kastenbaum, Trail Blazers Group Sales Manager.
Andrew, a young Jewish adult himself, is excited about being part in making Jewish Heritage night happen this year.
(Perhaps, he was also excited knowing that every time the Trail Blazers
hosted Chanukah Jewish heritage night they won the game, one year even
spurring on a 13-game winning streak.)
This game every year holds special significance for Jews across Oregon and
those as far away as Seattle. They turn out to celebrate the holiday that fetes the triumph of good over evil and to cheer on the home team.
To receive your commemorative T-shirt and entry to the pre-game Chanukah party buy your tickets at:
Enter Promo code: Chanukah
Sponsorship opportunities are available, email Rabbi@JewishNortheast.com
for more details.
More resources:
Merkos 302 and CTeen have coordinated multiple Jewish Heritage Nights at Barclays Center in Brooklyn. Here’s a video of one of those events. Here is a link to their banners.