They tried to kill us, we survived, now let’s eat—an amusingly accurate summary of many Jewish holidays, and Hanukkah is no exception. Join the JCC on Sunday, December 15 from 10:00 am–1:00 pm to celebrate the Maccabees’ victory and Jewish heritage at the third annual Latkes & Lights event. Among the event’s offerings are themed games, a Maker’s Mart of handcrafted gifts, live music, and a crowd favorite: the highly anticipated latke competitions. Guests should arrive hungry and ready to shovel down at least one full plate of latkes.
Last year, Lyn Edwards and her husband participated in Latkes & Lights’ community latke competition, which coexists with a restaurant latke competition across the room. During this time, patrons can mosey around the event space, tasting and voting on their favorite oily and crispy potato pancakes prepared by both professionals and home cooks. “I’m a mom of two kids, and we got involved in the JCC [originally] because of the gym and pool,” Lyn Edwards explains. “I began noticing signs around the building and locker room for events, so we started getting involved that way,” attending programs like the Jewish Deli Bike Tour and Babka Baking class.
Extra latkes? Never enough! – Latkes made by William Weiner
“I love to cook for the holidays, especially the Jewish ones, because it brings people together at my table and is a way to pass traditions through your family. I love that part of it…the passing down,” reflects Lyn when I ask about how food and Judaism intersect for her. In fact, she hosts a latke party at her house every Hanukkah. “I relate to Judaism through food.” Last year, the ‘nobody wants an old warmed-up latke’ rationale had Lyn and her husband out of bed at 4:00 am and frying up over 200 pancakes the morning of Latkes & Lights.
They wowed the crowd with a sweet potato curry latke, an ode to the many ethnic flavors of Southeast Asia that the native New Yorker was privy to during her childhood. Lyn and her husband took turns manning the booth, walking around to sample other delicious latke variations, dancing to the live band, chatting with other attendees, and celebrating the joy and togetherness that the Festival of Lights incites.
For William Weiner, food is also an entryway into sharing and experiencing Jewish community. “I actually just got done hosting a break-the-fast meal for Yom Kippur,” he shares. “My Yom Kippur tradition is to make fresh bagels for everyone because it keeps me active and distracted from how hungry I am.” A counter-intuitive win-win, right? William has a soft spot for classic Ashkenazi New York deli foods, and is inspired by cookbooks, Modern Jewish Baker, Modern Jewish Cooking, and The Gefilte Manifesto.
At last year’s Latkes & Lights event, William participated in the community latke competition, bringing to the table root vegetable latkes that featured elevated dips: spiced sour cream and a baked apple chutney. “As long as you have a good solid latke, anything can be what pushes it over the top,” the foodie explains. Between swapping latkes with fellow competitors, sizing up the professionals’ variations, and just enjoying rapport with the community, William is excited to once again participate in this year’s community latke competition on December 15.
“I had a lot of fun with it,” he reminisces, while preparing for this year’s challenge. “I’m starting my recipe experiments, and the goal is really just to make a quality latke,” adding, “I’m looking forward to winning.” Ryan Warner from Colorado Public Radio, who will be emceeing the event, adds, “recipes are also stories. So, I’m excited to draw out the stories behind the latkes this year— be it family lore or tales of people’s culinary experimentation.”
Who do you think will take the latke crown this year? Try them for yourself by purchasing tickets now to Latkes & Lights.
We are currently still accepting artists to participate in our Maker’s Mart. If you or someone you know sells holiday gifts, please contact us at info@jccdenver.org to learn more about this special opportunity.
