Observing a unique holiday happening

“Thanksgivukkah” — defined as a time when latkes are eaten with cranberry sauce, and jelly doughnuts follow turkey. A day when you’re not sure if you should wish your guests a Hanukkah Sameach or a Happy Thanksgiving.

Celebrating Thanksgiving together with Hanukkah (the last time was in 1888) has definitely been an interesting experience for students. Hebrew Academy of the Five Towns and Rockaway (HAFTR) High School families have come up with unique ways of embracing both holidays, an opportunity that won’t come again for another 70,000 years.

HAFTR junior Katie Glickman and Justin Glickman, a sophomore, rented a house with their cousins in Delaware to celebrate the holidays. Although they are used to spending Thanksgiving together, being with their cousins on Hanukkah was a first for the Glickmans. “Some of my cousins are not religious, and have never celebrated Hanukkah before,” Katie said. “It was a beautiful thing to see my cousins light the menorah for the first time. They were full of questions, and we were more than happy to answer and teach them over some delicious latkes!”

Amanda Kornblum, a HAFTR junior, along with her freshman cousin, Emily Kornblum, bought a cake with a turkey and a Jewish star to honor both holidays. “It was a great day to spend with family,” she said.

The overlap of the two holidays did not stop the Wietschner family from carrying on their traditional Thanksgiving morning routine. HAFTR Junior Jessie Wietschner and her family spent the morning watching the annual Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade while drinking hot chocolate. Later on, the Wietschners spent time with family at their cousin’s house, where they ate turkey and latkes. “It was cool to celebrate both holidays together,” Wietschner said.

Whether you spent Thanksgiving eating sweet potato latkes, or lighting your menurkey, HAFTR High School students and faculty hope that you had a great Thanksgiving and will continue to enjoy Hanukkah! Chag Sameach!