News from Kol Ami

Can you believe that Chanukah is just a few short weeks away? Have you started your shopping yet?  What are your family traditions? Do you light the menorah & sing songs? Do you play the dreidel game with pennies, pretzels, chocolate coins or actual gelt? Do you make latkas in your kitchen and stink up the whole house or apartment?  Or have you gotten clever and take the production outside using the BBQ and plug-in Electric Burner or Hot Plate? Whatever your family traditions are I’m sure they are just as fun as mine. One of my favourite Chanukah traditions is when we get together for dinner and play the Chanukah Harry Exchange Game.  Everyone brings a wrapped gift valued at $25.00 (we change the value every year). All the gifts get placed in the middle of the room. There are numbers written on little pieces of paper and everyone draws one out of the hat. The person who drew number 1 gets to pick the first gift. Person 2 gets to either take the gift from the first person OR take an unwrapped gift.  If they take the gift from the first person then the first person gets to pick another gift. Next is person 3-they can either take the gift from number 1 or gift from number 2 or an unwrapped gift. This goes on and on until everyone has a gift in their hands. We had to instill a rule that a gift could only get stolen 3 times otherwise we’d never end. It’s a lot of fun and people are getting rather creative with their gifts!  Plus, it’s kind of nice to give and receive something on Chanukah as an adult. Why should the kids have all the fun?

Speaking of fun...

Have you ever been to the “Night of 1000 Candles at Kol Ami? What a beautiful & mesmerizing experience!  AND this year we are having it on Shabbat! 

Mark your calendars, Friday December 27 at 6:30pm.  See you there!

Wishing you & your loved ones a happy & healthy Chanukah & 2020!

L’Shalom,

Dana, Nathan, Samantha & Tanner