Did you hear that loud noise yesterday?
No, it was not an explosion or a riot,
but loud sighs of relief that the Hanukkah holiday season is finally over.
Hanukkah may last 8 days with lots of candles in the rest of the world,
but in Jerusalem, Israel, it seems to go on forever.
First there are the trips to school performances for each child,
after which children have over a week of vacation,
while most parents still have to go work.
Then there is the challenge
of eating suffganiot
and keeping your face free of all that powdered sugar or chocolate on top.
It is truly a Hanukkah miracle to see how quickly those suffganiot disappear.
Once again this year, the consumption award goes to Elie Klein,
who ate 125 of these jelly donuts and raised $17,900 for 111 charities.
The open windows that displayed the Hanukkah lights
are now closed to keep out the winter cold.
Eight nights of Hanukkah were enough.
It is winter-time and so cold inside, but look as
flowers are popping up all around this week.
And believe it or not, I already heard people discussing Purim costumes!
