My Favorite New Menorahs -- 2010 Hanukkah Gift Guide

Taking an innovative approach to Hanukkah doesn’t mean downloading a menorah-lighting-app to your iPhone. Keep tradition burning with these modern interpretations of menorahs for your home:

Areaware improves an ancient design by integrating a tray to their Wrought Iron Menorah ($150) that catches the candle drippings. I love this menorah because the lines are sleek, simple and modern but the heaftiness makes it feel like a barn-shed tool in your hand. Very manly.

Peacocks are a hot motif this year. Jonathan Adler’s Peacock Menorah ($120) will give you something to strut about: either you’ve given the best gift at the party or you’ve got the finest menorah on the block. (Pictured with our candles.)

Designed in Israel, handmade from resin in a Bulgarian fair-trade women's work group, the Funky Menorah by Lalo Treasures ($98) will fill all eight crazy nights with sparkle and flair.

Upgrade your menorah lighting experience. Use modern, tubular, drip-less candles like these above that we gifted to Jonathan Adler ($14). Lose the free matches from the diner, light up with a bang with Pistolight by Sooda Mayer ($10) or go old style but in style with Jonathan Adler's Pipe Match Holder and Strike!

See our entire 2010 Hanukkah Gift Guide for unique Hanukkah gifts for everyone. Even your non-Jewish friends will want this stuff it's so fab.

Hanukkah FAQ

Have a happy Hanukkah! Here's an FAQ from Jill about Hanukkah traditions.

When is Hanukkah?

Jews begin celebrating on the first night of Hanukkah: after sunset on December 21, 2008. The first day of Hanukkah is December 22. The eight-day Festival of Lights ends on December 29, 2008.

Why does the first night of Hanukkah change each year?
Chanukah always begins on the twenty-fifth of the month of Kislev, as Jon Stewart tells Stephen Colbert below. The Jewish calendar is lunar, and its dates vary each year relative to other calendars, such as the Gregorian calendar used in the U.S. In fact, the first day of Chanukah can fall anywhere between November 28 and December 26.

The Colbert ReportMon - Thurs 11:30pm / 10:30c

A Colbert Christmas: Jon Stewart

Colbert at Christmas
Colbert Christmas DVD

Green Screen
Bill O'Reilly Interview

Why do Jews celebrate Hanukkah?

Hanukkah celebrates religious freedom and the rededication of the Temple (Hanukkah means rededication). Around 165 BCE, two groups of Jews -- one led by Judah Maccabee -- successfully revolted against the oppressive King Antiochus IV, who had prohibited the practice of Judaism, desecrated the Temple in Jerusalem, and ordered the killing of Jews.

Once free, the Jews were able to rededicate the Temple. They needed oil for the Temple's menorah, which was supposed to burn every night, but according to the Talmud, the Jews had only enough oil to burn for one night. Miraculously, the oil burned for eight days, giving them enough time to obtain more oil. To celebrate this miracle the next year, the Jews began to observe an eight-day festival.

What is a menorah?
On each of the eight nights of Chanukah, Jews light a candelabra called a menorah after sunset. The menorah holds nine Hanukkah candles (or wicks in oil). On the first night, Jews light the shamash (attendant or "helper" candle), then light another candle with the shamash. On the second night, we light two candles plus the shamash. This continues until the eighth night, when we light eight candles plus the shamash. The custom of lighting Hanukkah candles has given the holiday its nickname, the Festival of Lights.

In what direction do I light menorah candles?
Candles are added from right to left, but they are lit from left to right. On the first night of Hanukkah, place one candle in the far right holder of the menorah, and light it with the shamash. (The lit shamash is often placed in the center of the menorah.) On the second night, put two candles in the two far-right candle holders, then light the left-most candle first.

Is there a special blessing I can recite while I light the Hanukkah candles?
Yes, while holding the shamash you may recite the Blessing over Candles and the Blessing for Hanukkah. On the first night, it's customary to recite the Shehecheyanu as well; this prayer celebrates special occasions and milestones.

Where can I get a menorah? ModernTribe has unique artisan-made menorahs from girly to manly, glass to chrome, plus a kid's play menorah. Menorahs are also available at synagogue Judaica shops and Jewish bookstores.

What are some other Hanukkah traditions?
A Jewish holiday wouldn't be complete without special foods! On Hanukkah we often eat foods fried in oil, such as latkes (pancakes made of shredded potato) and doughnuts (sufganiyot), to commemorate the Hanukkah miracle. Dairy foods also are commonly eaten.

Families often exchange Hanukkah gifts or just give gifts to children. It's traditional to give children gifts of money, or gelt. Another Jewish custom is to give more money to charity each day of Hanukkah.

Another Hanukkah tradition is to play dreidel games—including No Limit Texas Dreidel. Singing Hanukkah songs is also a fun family activity.

Jews often send each other Hanukkah cards.

I've seen "Hanukkah" spelled many different ways. What's the correct spelling?
Because it's transliterated from Hebrew, there are several possible spellings: Hanukkah, Chanukah, Hanukah, Chanukkah, Hanuka, and Chanuka. Less typical spellings include Hanaka, Channuka, Channukah, Hannuka, Hannukah, Kanukkah, Khannuka, Khannukah, Khanuka, Khanukah, and Khanukkah!

To read more about the Festival of Lights, visit Chabad's Chanukah guide or Judaism 101's Chanukkah page.

Reach Out Touch Me: Jewelry Design from Israel Gets Physical

By Ziva Haller Rubenstein of Designist Dream

Shopping is a sensual experience for me in that I like to touch things on view or on sale. More than just look or pull off the rack, actually playing with the fabric or material gives me a better sense of the object - how it will wear, drape, endure, draw attention or compete with other things on my shelves. So maybe now you can understand why seeing these bracelets by Israeli Jewelry Designer Dana Hakim Berkovich behind a glass at the Designed in Israel 08 exhibition was so upsetting for me.



First off, what immediately attracted me was their texture. The woven braids on the cuffs and bracelets seemed so intricate and layered that my fingers literally started walking across them atop the glass just itching to cop a feel. Then, reading the artist's statement, I realized they were made of cardboard - egg crate cardboard to be more specific! That's right, not what you first think of when you hear of textural jewelry or think of coveted bracelets. Berkovich cuts diamond shapes into the cardboard and when rounding them into the bracelet shapes generates a 3D effect - what I thought originally was a woven pattern. Berkovich's overall technique aims to recycle used materials into beautiful accessories and challenges users to rethink the beautiful and the possible in what we casually throw away.



A little ways away in the same glass case, Israeli jewelry designer, Yael Friedman, also got my fingers itching. A delicate pewter-metal blend gold Hanukiyah or Chanukah Menorah presented the neatest little DIY project that just couldn't go wrong. A one-dimensional page of metal provided cut outs of semi-circles - each with laser cut decorations - that can be slotted together to form a fully functioning eight-plus-one candle holder. The details gave some light and delicacy to the metal material and the adornment was reminiscent of jewelry techniques. And the idea of being able to mail someone a flat DIY Menorah in time for the holidays? Opens a whole new world of holiday card options. Now if I could only get my hands on these items...

~Crossposted from Designist Dream~

Jennie on Good Day Atlanta this morning!

I only have a minute before the next TV station comes to my house to film a segment. Here is segment one -- done live this morning on Fox 5 Atlanta. It was an exciting but nerve-wracking experience. We only had a few minutes to set up, no rehearsal. Wham, I was on TV. I was so nervous but I think it turned out OK.

Have We Arrived?

Organic Google Search Finds Moderntribe.com. Sort of.

Getting ones new website to show up under a general word search is very difficult. So I was thrilled today when I googled for Hanukkah.

Search for "Hanukkah" or "Menorah" on google today and find a picture of me and my daughter -- above "the fold" no less. The irony of it is that although I'm quoted in the accompanying article...

Jennie Rivlin Roberts noticed many young Jews acquiring multiple menorahs on their own, to suit their more modern tastes, and started an online company, ModernTribe.com, selling "hip Judaica" to serve them.

She says the nadir of menorah design was in the 1980s, when brassy models were popular.

"I have a really ugly brass menorah from my family," she said. "I take it out every year and light it, but it's not at all my aesthetic taste."

..the picture is of me and my daughter with my "ugly menorah"!

Mainstream Stores Best & Worst for Hanukkah

Of course I want you to shop at ModernTribe.com. But if you can't, don't want to, or just don't have the time to wait for shipping, here is the skinny on some of the mainstream department stores' Hanukkah offerings. Have a beautiful, modern Hanukkah!

Disclaimer: Some department stores vary their stock depending on the community -- so if there are many Jews in the community, they will stock more Hanukkah stuff. Therefore, these findings may or many not be true for your "brick and mortar" location.

I have covered Target in previous posts.

Uh oh, may steal ModernTribe's business: Crate & Barrel. They have two very nice looking nickel plated menorahs. I haven't seen them up close but, darn, they look nice and I'd love to be able to offer them to you myself.

Some nice, but traditional, things: Saks Fifth Avenue. These Eleni's New York Happy Hanukkah Cookies look beautiful! Has anyone tried them?

The mainstream of modern: Nambe at Macys and Bloomingdales. I plan to offer the Nambe line in the future. If you want Nambe Judaica now, they have it. I don't like the Nambe menorah however; it looks great with candles but loses its design appeal without them.

"No products found for Chanukah. Did you mean chunky?" JC Penney, Dillards, and KMart come up blank in the Hanukkah department.

Not my taste but a selection of goods: Walmart, Kohls, and Bed Bath and Beyond

Jewish Product Bloopers Part III: Search for Hanukkah or Chanukah at these websites and get:

Kenny G "Miracles - The Holiday Album." the only Chanukah item online at Sears contains one "Chanukah Song" among 10 other Christmas songs. But, I do believe Kenny is Jewish.

A Nativity Votive!? Watch those keywords Bloomingdales!

Woof & Poof Jolly Old Saint Nick at Nordstrom along with rows and rows of other Christmas decorations. I still consider snowmen, angels, and fairies Christmas decor. Do you?

The Ugly Menorah with Modern Company

We did a photo shoot the other day and my husband took a few. We took my "ugly menorah" (a traditional brass menorah with the Maccabee motif that I've had all my life) and surrounded it with modern menorahs. I love the way this picture turned out. You see the Woodland Linking Menorah (unlinked) and a little bit of the Cube Menorah.