A Festival of Light

One recent morning, after I finished with the chaos of getting the girls ready for kindergarten and school, I sat down for a moment of quiet with coffee to listen to the morning show on TV.

Sivan Rahav Meir was a guest and spoke about the moving gesture dedicated to the memory of Kristallnacht -

This year, many synagogues around the world lit the lights of the sanctuary simultaneously, as a sign of remembrance for the disaster that occurred during World War II.

Sivan also spoke about the current period, about the fact that people haven't entered synagogues to pray for months.

As she spoke, tears welled up in my eyes, what a difficult time.

Alongside the sadness, my eyes were drawn to the changing images on the television screen, of synagogues illuminated by light. A unifying light.

The light that gives us hope, that reminds us that good days will come and that there is something to look forward to.

Hanukkah is approaching, a holiday entirely of light. The light that overcomes darkness.

Even the children's song "Every one is a small light and together we are a strong light" takes on a much stronger, deeper, and more important meaning this year.

How will we celebrate the holiday this year?

What will be different / similar?

Perhaps this is an opportunity to celebrate differently...

Until this year, Hanukkah celebrations were characterized by shows and festivals of various kinds, colorful kindergarten parties, school ceremonies, extended family candle lighting at my home, my parents' home, or my mother-in-law's home, communal candle lighting in the settlement, and a torch parade.

This year we are unable to celebrate in this way. It seems that all collective celebrations will be forbidden. Even the festival has become digital, virtual.

The entire holiday experience will be intimate, small... and like the Tishrei holidays, we will celebrate this holiday around a small family table.

Despite all this, I decided not to spare the warmth, colorfulness, and excitement of this beautiful holiday,

and to continue celebrating it as a family experience full of light and style.

While reflecting on our difficult situation, I received a joyful opportunity,

in the form of a voice message from Shani Vaknin Gamerman, or by her other name "Delicious".

I met Shani, owner of "Delicious" catering, a few years ago when a friend recommended her to me.

After one joint event, she became the regular caterer for events at the studio.

She called and told me that this year she is launching a collection of sufganiyot and a festive food package.

She suggested we photograph a holiday table production together.

Since at this very time, AV's Hanukkah menorah and our fifth dreidel in the traditional dreidel series were born, I thought it was an excellent idea.

Two creators, two private businesses, two believing women. Only good can come of it.

So we set out to design a table that would combine AV's products with "Delicious" catering platters.

You already know me and AV :)

Happy to introduce you to Shani Gamerman:

My name is Shani Vaknin Gamerman, and I founded Delicious out of a true love for cooking and baking. The business started in my small, personal kitchen, and grew into the professional kitchen where I create today. Delicious has grown and developed, and today serves hundreds of satisfied customers throughout the North, from Hatzor HaGlilit, through Karmiel, Acre and Nahariya, to Haifa and Yokneam. I bring my home into the professional kitchen. I believe that delicious and beautifully designed food served in an appetizing way can make any event unforgettable, and therefore I invested a lot of thought and planning in the catering platters. Each dish is handmade for the event, with an emphasis on using local, high-quality, and fresh ingredients.

As Avital said, the past year has been strange indeed, and Hanukkah this year is going to be a more homey and family holiday than ever. This very thought gave birth to Sufgan-sfinge for me. There is nothing in the world I love more than my mother's sfinge. I never even tried to make it myself. It's hers, and it's her special taste. We worked together with a special dough that combines airiness on one hand, and on the other hand can hold a filling that explodes with every bite. We dipped each sufganiyah in sweet white sugar right as it came out of the oil, just like with sfinge. And I filled each sufganiyah with LOADS of filling! Because that's how you make homemade sufganiyot, and Hanukkah 2020 is the holiday of home.

Pistachio, strawberry jam, dulce de leche, Irish cream and hazelnuts.

New flavors alongside homemade ones.

Table design with Delicious and AV

We started by choosing the colors:

We chose to combine deep blue and gold.

Blue is a dramatic color associated with Judaism, mysticism, festive dinner, and winter.

Gold is a luxurious color associated with light, miracles, holiness, and hope.

Together, the two colors create a festive and dramatic atmosphere, suitable for a holiday celebrated in the evening and during the winter season.

On the tablecloth, we placed the Hanukkah menorah in urban gray (which stands out against the blue tablecloth)

and vases from the studio with perennial flowers inside. We chose delicate and pastel pinkish shades, which balance the dramatic blue.

On the table, we placed the four dreidels from the 2020 collection, with the aim of inviting play and creating amusing interaction among those seated at the table.

The dinnerware we chose is identical in appearance, but different in blue shades, to create interest while maintaining harmony. In addition, we combined serving dishes in various styles, with the common denominator being the color blue.

Next to them, gold cutlery complements the blue and illuminates the table.

The inclusion of the holiday table-

Hanukkah is my holiday, I was born on Hanukkah.

For years I've dreamed of designing a Hanukkah menorah for my holiday... This year, finally, it's here - the Hanukkah menorah I designed.

A Hanukkah menorah made of recycled Corian combined with brass.

Where is the shamash?

Good question :)

The shamash is only revealed when the candles are placed in the Hanukkah menorah. The outermost socket in the Hanukkah menorah is less deep, so when the candle stands in it, it protrudes above all the other candles.

The Hanukkah menorah comes in four models:

Black Stars

Urban Grey

White

Terrazzo

This year's dreidels are the fifth collection in the annual tradition.

They were absolutely created as a direct and complete continuation of the Hanukkah menorah that was born earlier.

Part of the design process and exploration of form came from the world of minimalist jewelry.

In the dreidels, as in the Hanukkah menorah, elegance, minimalism, connection, and proper flow between materials - paved the way for the design language.

The dreidels were released in a small capsule collection of only 24 units.

They come in four models:

Black Marble

Urban Grey

White Marble

Cream Marble

And there's no holiday table without food...

Shani identified a need and created a holiday package for the Hanukkah table, which includes traditional holiday delicacies and dishes. I thought to myself how good it would be to gather our nuclear family together and really invest in it. We've been together for so long, from lockdown to lockdown and until the next lockdown, but we haven't really sat down for a moment and invested in this togetherness.

So take your family, choose your prettiest clothes from the closet, do your hair, put on heels, spread a festive blue tablecloth that is already in the Hanukkah package, and set a holiday table straight out of a movie!

We've arranged everything for you...