Jill Miller Zimon is a Northeast Ohio-based freelance writer whose blog, "Writes Like She Talks," deals with local issues as well as being Jewish and a being mom in Cleveland. I asked her to share her thoughts on Hanukkah and what the holiday means to her and her family. This is what she said:


Yesterday morning, I stood in the hallway of my kids’ elementary school and waited to catch my youngest son on his way into the building. The jeans he had on when he left the house fit him less than optimally, but he didn’t complain until just before he got on the bus.

Slave mother that I am, especially when it comes to thoughts that any of my children might be uncomfortable for even one moment of life due to my failures as a parent (in this case, putting off laundry and shoving my son into too-big clothes), I drove to the school with a substitute pair of pants.

Nearly 1000 children scurried, sauntered and sleep-walked past me as I scanned for mine. And every single face made me smile. Unexpectedly, their high-pitched chatter, shouts and laughs buoyed the heavy weight I’d carried into the school just moments before, laden as I was with tasks to complete and little time to stand sentinel. Work projects, family projects and, yes, holiday related projects consumed my energy.

Just how many holiday-related projects are there when you celebrate Chanuka? To begin with, the eight days thing multiplies the complexities. In fact, I would argue that while basically there are no distinctions in pre-holiday preparations between Christmas and Chanuka, figuring out how you’ll take care of the eight day issue overwhelms the pre-holiday phase: One big gift? Eight average-sized gifts? Each night a different theme, or a different relative’s responsibility? Maybe a few nights when the kids give to others via community service or choose some toys to donate? Oy.

And then, parents and loved ones who celebrate Chanuka, just like those who celebrate Christmas, must still:

• ask for and gather wishlists
• censor the wishlists
• price the items on the wishlist
• censor the list a little more as a result of discovering the prices
• locate a place from which you can buy the items on the wishlist
• purchase the items
  and, last but not least, because you know, as a practical person living in the era of consumerism, how wasteful the final step is:
• wrap the items

And that list only focuses on the gift-giving. How about deciding on decorations, buying the decorations, putting up (only to have to take down) the decorations, fixing decorations that break, planning events or going to events around the holiday (Chanuka fairs exist just like Christmas ones), deciding on whether you’ll host an event, and then actually hosting one successfully (meaning guests don’t go home ill after eating your latkes and suvganiot, and you had enough gelt and dreidels for everyone)?

Laden with tasks, indeed.

As my mind cycled through chores and searched for my children by the color of their outerwear, I finally saw their familiar coats and hats, and my kids saw me. And I thought: Is there anything better than the look of happy surprise on your children’s face?

Sigh. The holiday season.

You don’t suppose my youngest son’s face will get that look when he opens his Chanuka present of properly sized jeans?

Chag Sameach.


Here's wishing Jill, her family, and all of our Jewish readers a very Happy Hanukkah!

Hanukkah begins at sunset tonight, December 4.
To learn more about the holiday, see:

• History of Hanukkah
• Hanukkah Recipes
• The Hanukkah Story
• How to Play Dreidel
• Hanukkah Activites in Northeast Ohio
  
  ^{(Photo of Jill's Hanukkah treats courtesy of J. M. Zimon)
  (Photo of the menorah © istockphoto; licensed to About, Inc.)}