Students Celebrate Hanukkah On Campus

Though many students were at home last week for the first few days of Hanukkah, they will be able to find food and festivities—from fried latkes and jelly doughnuts to traditional Jewish games of dreidel and the lighting of menorahs—across campus in the final days of the Jewish holiday.

Both Harvard Hillel and the Chabad House at Harvard will host menorah lighting ceremonies and other celebrations this week, and Hillel will sponsor student-initiated parties throughout campus as well.

“Because it has been an unusual year with Thanksgiving break falling so early, and Hanukkah turning more into Thanksgivukkah, what we did differently this year was we gave students the opportunity to plan their own Thanksgivukkah candle lighting and latke celebrations in their residential halls,” David F. Sackstein ’14, president of Hillel, said.

Sackstein said that students will be able to light menorahs and feast on traditional foods at Hillel throughout the week.

“We try to have more of a holiday feel around Hillel for this special time of the year,” he said.

In addition, Hillel will host a reception and menorah lighting with University Provost Alan M. Garber ’76 on Tuesday night. The reception will be open to all undergraduate students.

According to an email sent by the Chabad House, Harvard Chabad will also host multiple Grand Menorah lighting ceremonies on Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday evenings with Garber, University President Drew G. Faust, and Cambridge Mayor Henrietta J. Davis, respectively. The ceremonies led by Garber and Faust will take place on the steps of Widener Library, while the event hosted by Davis will take place in Cambridge Common.

On Tuesday night, the Chabad House will entertain guests at Tommy Doyle’s, an Irish pub and restaurant, for a Hanukkah celebration. According to the email, guests will be able to enjoy latkes, appetizers, dancing, and gelt—chocolate coins traditionally eaten during Hanukkah.

Students said that they appreciate the efforts of Hillel and the Chabad House to celebrate the holiday on campus.

Leore C. Lavin ’17 and Edyt J. Dickstein ’17, frequenters of Harvard Hillel, said they will host a Hanukkah party in the basement of Thayer Hall on Monday night, with catered Jewish food and dreidel lessons for beginners.

“It’s really nice that Hillel is helping spreading holiday cheer throughout freshman dorms and upperclassman houses with these casual parties,” Lavin said. “Hanukkah is a really exciting holiday, and it is all inclusive, and it is always nice for all races and religions to learn more about the holiday and other Jewish traditions.”

Talia Weisberg ’17 said that she thinks the Hillel-sponsored events make it easier for students to get involved and celebrate the holiday, adding that she plans to light her menorah at Hillel.

“I’ll be at Hillel mostly, so I don’t light my dorm on fire, which actually happened to someone a couple years ago,” she said jokingly.

This article has been revised to reflect the following correction:

CORRECTION: Dec. 2, 2013

An earlier version of this article incorrectly attributed a quotation about attending a menorah lighting at Harvard Hillel to Talia K. Rothstein ’17. In fact, it was Talia Weisberg '17 who jokingly spoke about celebrating the holiday at Hillel so as to avoid starting a dorm-room fire.