Hanukkah is a uniquely public holiday, here in Green Bay. That makes it hard to celebrate

GREEN BAY – What’s a Jewish person to do in the Green Bay area to celebrate Hanukkah? A Google search for “Best latkes in Green Bay” unhelpfully generates a list of Green Bay’s best lakes.

It’s best not to even try “Best sufganiyot in Green Bay,” but if you can get your hands on this Jewish delicacy, part beignet part jelly doughnut, you’ll be better for it.

Local restaurants might serve potato pancakes the size of dinner plates, but it’s not quite the same thing, especially since most of these restaurants are quick to offer a side of bacon, ham or sausage.

Perhaps greater Green Bay isn’t the best place to search for traditional Hanukkah dishes, but that doesn’t mean Jewish people in the region aren’t celebrating the festival of lights this year. As a city, Green Bay is honoring its Jewish residents by lighting the Bart Starr Memorial Bridge (Walnut Street) blue and white, but synagogues near and far are cautioning their members about new security risks that have come with the rise in anti-Semitism.

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Here’s what you should know about Hanukkah

The eight-day Jewish holiday began Thursday at sundown and ends Dec. 15. Jewish families across the world sing Hanukkah blessings before lighting their menorahs each night using the “shamash” or the helper candle (the candle in the middle), a new candle for every night.

Green Bay resident Nichole Cohen said that, for her family, lighting the menorah is the main event. Her young sons look forward to the holiday every year and help their dad light the menorah.

And while kids tend to love lighting the menorah and biting into some Hanukkah gelt (chocolate coins), the miracle is in the menorah oil (hence all the fried food). It was the oil that offered hope to the underdog Jewish fighters known as Maccabees.

Hanukkah translates to “dedication” in Hebrew because the ragtag team of Maccabees were able to defeat the Greek army, known as the mightiest army in the world — at least by second century BCE standards — and reclaim or “rededicate” Jerusalem’s Holy Temple to serve God.

The ’90s Nickleodeon cartoon “Rugrats,” in this reporter’s opinion, does the best job summarizing the holiday, delivering such classic lines by baby Tommy Pickles as, “A Maccababy’s gotta do what a Maccababy’s gotta do.”

The hard reality of war makes Hanukkah a difficult holiday to celebrate

Many synagogue leaders with whom the Green Bay Press-Gazette spoke cautioned that new security measures have made public celebrations difficult, and even dangerous. Cantor Mimi Rozansky at Congregation Cnesses Israel said that since the Israel-Hamas war began Oct. 7, many residents feel newly unsafe displaying Hanukkah menorahs in windows.

Hanukkah is an intentionally public holiday, meant to be celebrated on the streets, making this holiday’s mitzvah, or command, unique. Many synagogues across the state are hosting menorah lightings over Zoom and throwing special parties, some of which include latkes.

That said, local synagogues note that you must call ahead of time to be admitted to their temples for any religious observations and special events. Some synagogues are so worried about security that they don’t even want to be named in the newspaper.

So, it may be hard this year to experience a good, authentic latke, short of being invited by one of your Jewish friends for dinner. You can always make your own, using pretty darned authentic recipes online.

Try Mark Bittman’s recipe — bittmanproject.com/recipe/latkes — if you need a place to start. Just remember to squeeze your shredded potatoes of as much water as humanly possible. When you think you’ve squeezed enough, do it one more time for good measure. Otherwise, you won’t achieve that delicious — nay, miraculous — crispy bite.

Natalie Eilbert covers mental health issues for USA TODAY NETWORK-Wisconsin. She welcomes story tips and feedback. You can reach her at neilbert@gannett.com or view her Twitter profile at @natalie_eilbert. If you or someone you know is dealing with suicidal thoughts, call the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 988 or text “Hopeline” to the National Crisis Text Line at 741-741.

This article originally appeared on Green Bay Press-Gazette: Green Bay is quietly celebrating Hanukkah, finding latkes is tricky