Imaginative Hanukkiot display a purpose

By Susie Davidson

Special to the Advocate

Hands, trees, Torahs, walls – all sorts of objects are incorporated into the Chanukah menorahs on display at Temple Shalom Emeth in Burlington.

The story behind the holiday tradition began a decade ago when the shul’s rabbi, Susan Abramson, gave a lift to a classmate of hers from Hebrew Union College-Jewish Institute of Religion.

Kinneret Shiryon, rabbi of Kehilat Yozma in Modi’in, Israel, had been invited to speak at B’nai Shalom synagogue in Westborough. When the two rabbis walked in the lobby, they were struck by “an amazing array of hanukkiot which members had made for a contest,” recalled Abramson, referring to the Chanukah menorahs.

Abramson was greatly inspired and decided to launch a similar contest at her temple to benefit her friend’s synagogue in Israel. “I felt that it would be wonderful for the contest to focus people’s attention on Kinneret’s congregation and provide an outlet for us to support the state of Israel,” she said, adding that the holiday tie-in was particularly apt as Modi’in　was the ancestral home of the Maccabees.

The following year, nearly 30 hanukkiot were displayed at Shalom Emeth’s Chanukah party, which is sponsored by the Sisterhood. “They were made in the shape of everything: from baseball teams to trains to musical instruments to nuts-and-bolts to milk bottles to dolls to igloos to a golf course,” said Abramson, whose own sense of whimsy is reflected in her “Rabbi Rocketpower” storybooks.

Over the years, the contest has become increasingly popular, with submissions coming from individuals, families and religious school classes.

“The entries must be constructed so they can fit nine candles, and not be flammable,” said Abramson. “One year’s winner was made out of CDs, which were broken into pieces to create candle holders, that were surrounded by a modernistic sea of glass pieces, with a black felt background,” she said.

Another year a class created a living menorah, with each student serving as a candle. “At the end they melted to the floor,” the rabbi said.

People vote on the menorahs by dropping money into a tzedakah box in front of their favorite. In addition, a team of judges comes up with unique awards for each entry, such as a nuts-and-bolts menorah that was named “The Nuttiest Menorah.”

In a departure from past contests, this year’s will benefit SOS Children’s Villages in Israel, which cares for orphaned and abused children.

The hanukkiot　are put on display in time for　the Friday evening Chanukah Family Worship Service, and winning entries remain up throughout the year.

This year, Abramson created a menorah based – naturally – on her book series. It’s called “Rabbi Rocketpower and the Menschlicheit Menoranators.”

“Rabbi Rocketpower is the shamash, and each of the candles are sticking out of the heads of clay smiling aliens, who are holding hands,” she said, adding with a smile: “OK, you need to use your imagination a little.”

The hanukkiot will be among the attractions when the Temple Shalom Emeth Sisterhood holds its annual Chanukah party Dec. 5, 10:30 a.m.-1 p.m. It will feature traditional holiday foods, a sing-along and a book fair. For information, call