If you’re looking to spend this Hanukkah having fun in Denver, here are some upcoming events at the Staenberg-Loup Jewish Community Center!
The Staenberg-Loup Jewish Community Center (JCC) invites the community to join them in several festive events this coming month to celebrate Hanukkah, starting with their beloved
Latkes and Lights celebration on Sunday December 7, from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. At this celebration there will be two latke competitions, live music, a craft fair with local vendors, Hanukkah-themed games, and more!
At Latkes and Lights, attendees can taste-test latkes from various Jewish restaurants throughout Colorado all competing for the Golden Latke Award. An esteemed panel of judges determine who will win the award, with one of the judges this year being the
Jewish drag queen Sara Rosenthal.
Of course they still have a Community Latke Competition, though, which allows home cooks to earn bragging rights for best homemade latke in Denver.
Blair Ebert, the engagement program manager at the JCC, said in a press release, “Latkes and Lights is the epitome of community joy,” adding that, “The event is so much more than sampling delicious latkes. It’s a representation of warmth, light, and the vibrance of our culture all in one beautiful showcase.”
On December 11 from 6:30-9:30 p.m. is the
Joseph’s Techno-Colored Dreamcoat LGBTIA+ Hanukkah Party. This is the JCC’s annual queer Hanukkah celebration where LGBTQ+ Jews and allies can connect, dance, and enjoy seasonal treats while also donning extravagant clothing for a chance to win their Dreamcoat Costume Contest—because is it even a gay party if you don’t dress to the nines?
Additional events include a hands-on Jewish Baking event at 6:00 p.m. on Thursday, December 11, where you can learn how to make sufganiyot from scratch—just in time to impress your family before Hanukkah, as well as Festo!Festo!, which is a monthly Klezmer, Balkan, and World music concert and community jam session, this month it is on December 20—and in collaboration with Mizel Institute’s Annual Klezfest. Tickets are now available for any and all of these events, for more information visit the JCC’s website.
