Tonight when the sun goes down, while many are checking to see if their turkey is thawing, Butler County Jews will be observing the start of Hanukkah.

Thursday is a convergence of Thanksgiving and the Jewish Festival of Lights that hasn't happened since 1888 and won't happen again until 2070.

“Hanukkah is really a minor holiday,” said Cantor Michal Gray-Schaffer from Congregation B'nai Abraham, 519 N. Main St.

“We don't have a special service for Hanukkah. We have special liturgy inserted into the regular service,” she said.

“It's not one of our big holidays. It's only seen as big by non-Jews. Our big family holiday is Passover,” she added.

Because of the lunar/solar cycle of the Jewish religious calendar, Hanukkah has moved this year from December and its usual association with Christmas.

“This is the earliest it has fallen in a long time,” said Gray-Schaffer. “It's not going to occur again until 2070, so this is a rare occurrence.”

“This is a better pairing of holidays,” said Gray-Schaffer. “Usually people associate Hanukkah with Christmas. In America, a lot of Jewish parents have made more of a holiday of it so their children don't think they are missing anything.”

But the Thanksgiving and Hanukkah holidays have much more in common.

“The great thing is Thanksgiving is a time for the family to gather together, so people will all gather together for Hanukkah,” Gray-Schaffer said.

“Being paired with Thanksgiving is a closer fit because they are both concerned with religious freedom,” said Gray-Schaffer.

Everyone knows the Pilgrims' landing at Plymouth Rock was motivated by their desire to practice religion in their own way.

Gray-Schaffer said the origin of Hanukkah also was born of religious persecution.

The ruler of the Syrian/Greek Seleucid Empire, Antiochus, in 165 B.C. had forbidden Jewish practices and had desecrated the Temple in Jerusalem in an attempt to impose Greek culture on the populace.

“The Jews were actually fighting for their right to exist and not be assimilated into the Hellenic culture around them,” said Gray-Schaffer.

When the Seleucids starting making examples of those who would not renounce the Jewish religion, a revolt began, led by the Hasmonean family, whose most famous member was Judah Maccabee or Judah the Hammer.

After 23 years of guerrilla warfare, the Jews reclaimed the Temple, said Gray-Schaffer, but there was only enough oil in its menorah, or candelabrum, for one day. Miraculously the oil lasted for eight days. An eight-day festival was declared by the Jewish sages to commemorate this miracle.

“The flames help us remember to keep alive the home of Jewish culture because it was almost snuffed out,” said Gray-Schaffer of the Hanukkah custom of lighting a candle on the menorah during each of the eight days of the festival.

“There are thematic parallels to the idea of religious freedom,” said Rabbi David Katz of Temple Ohav Shalom in Allison Park.

“The Maccabees fought. The Pilgrims left town and found a new place to be free,” said Katz.

Of course, this year in honor of this year's “Thanksgivukkah,” Gray-Schaffer said, there are recipes for pumpkin latkes (potato pancakes) and the traditional Hanukkah sufganiyot or jelly-filled doughnuts on Jewish websites.

“Hanukkah uses fried foods to remember the oil in the Temple,” said Katz, adding whether turkey can be added to the Hanukkah menu is up to the individual.

This kugel recipe combines many of the flavors and foods found in Spain and Portugal (the home of Sephardic Jews) with the classic technique for making a bread kugel.3 tablespoons olive oil, plus additional for greasing the pan1 onion, diced2 ribs celery, chopped1 cup chopped mushrooms½ cup chopped mixed dried fruit (apples, prunes, pears, apricots or any of your other favorites)½ cup dried sweetened cranberries1 cup apricot nectar¼ cup Madeira (optional, add more apricot nectar if not using)¼ cup sun-dried tomatoes packed in oil, drained and chopped½ cup toasted almonds, coarsely chopped1 loaf of white bread or challah with crust, cut into ½-inch cubes (about 7 cups)1 teaspoon dried thyme½ teaspoon crushed rosemary½ teaspoon sage¼ teaspoon marjoram¼ teaspoon nutmegKosher salt and 10 grindings of pepper to taste1½ cups chicken broth, warm or at room temperature1 eggSauté the onion in the olive oil until lightly golden. Add the celery and mushrooms, and sauté for about 10 minutes or until the vegetables are soft and have given up their juices. Set aside.Grease a 2-quart casserole or 11½ x 8-inch pan with some additional olive oil.Combine the chopped dried fruit, dried cranberries, apricot nectar, and Madeira in a small glass bowl. Microwave on high for two minutes. Set aside.Combine the sun-dried tomatoes, almonds, and bread cubes in a 4-quart bowl.Mix the seasonings with the chicken broth and egg. Set aside.Add the onion mixture and the dried fruit/juice mixture to the bowl with the bread cubes and toss.Add the broth and egg mixture, and stir until the mixture is very moist and almost runny. If necessary, add a little more broth or nectar.Pour the mixture into the prepared casserole, and bake at 350°F for 30 to 40 minutes.Note: The casserole can be baked for the first 25 minutes covered with foil, shiny side up. Then remove the foil for the remainder of the cooking time. This will give you a very soft stuffing.Source: Entree to Judaism for Families: Jewish Cooking and Kitchen Conversations with Children- See more at: http://beedit.sx.atl.publicus.com/article/20131127/FOCUS01/711269730&NoCache=1#sthash.j1e2aBNu.dpuf

In Eastern Europe, squash, apples and onions were stored all winter in cold cellars. Adding an onion to a recipe was normal but adding an apple elevated the dish to something special.1 large onion2 Fuji, Honeycrisp or Jonagold apples20 ounces pre-cut butternut squash (about 4 to 5 cups of 1-inch cubes)3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil1 teaspoon dried thyme1 tablespoon balsamic vinegarKosher salt to taste20 grindings of black pepper or to taste½ teaspoon ground cinnamon½ cup dried cranberries¼ cup toasted almond slivers or sunflower seeds (optional)Preheat oven to 350°F.Cut the onion in half, and then slice each piece crosswise into ½-inch strips. Place on a large rimmed baking sheet covered with parchment paper or foil (dull side up). Set aside.Using an apple corer/slicer, cut the apples into eighths, and then cut each wedge into 3 or 4 chunks. Add to the onions along with the squash cubes.Add the oil, thyme, vinegar, salt and pepper to the baking sheet and toss well.Spread out in a single layer, and bake for 30 minutes or until the onions are golden and the squash is tender when pierced with a fork.Remove from the oven. Sprinkle with the cinnamon, dried cranberries, and nuts (if using). Toss lightly and place in a serving dish.Source: Entree to Judaism for Families: Jewish Cooking and Kitchen Conversations with Children

This untraditional latke recipe is a tribute to the Ethiopian Jewish community. It has the flavors common to Ethiopian cooking and it is gluten-free.1 pound sweet potatoes, peeled½ pound carrots, peeled1 small onion, cut into eighths1 large clove garlic, cut into three pieces1 teaspoon salt or to taste15 grindings of black pepper½ teaspoon powdered ginger½ teaspoon dried oregano or ½ tablespoon chopped fresh oregano½ teaspoon dried basil or ½ tablespoon chopped fresh basil2 large eggs¼ to 1/3 cup teff or ground flaxseedCanola or peanut oil for fryingGreek yogurt or sour cream for garnish (optional)Cut the sweet potatoes and carrots into 1½-inch chunks. Grate them using the fine grating disk on a processor. Empty the mixture into a 3-quart bowl.Place the onion and garlic pieces in the food processor work bowl fitted with the metal blade. Pulse the machine on and off until the onions are finely chopped.Return half of the potato/carrot mixture to the processor workbowl. Pulse on and off about five times to combine the ingredients. Empty the workbowl into the mixing bowl with remaining potato/carrot mixture.Add the spices, the eggs and ¼ cup of the teff or ground flaxseed to the mixing bowl. Mix thoroughly. Add a little more grain if the mixture seems too loose and watery. Do not make the mixture too firm or the finished product will be dry and heavy.Heat a large skillet or griddle on high heat for 20 seconds. Add enough oil to totally cover the bottom of the pan. Heat the oil for 10 seconds. If the oil begins to smoke, reduce the heat to medium-high.Drop 2 tablespoons of the potato/carrot mixture into the hot pan using a food scoop or spoon. Each time before you scoop up some of the latke batter, stir the contents of the bowl. Repeat with more mixture to fill the pan, but do not overcrowd.When the bottoms of the pancakes are golden, gently turn them over using two slotted spatulas. When golden on the second side, remove to a plate that is covered with crumpled paper towels.Proceed with the remaining mixture.Serve plain or with a dollop of sour cream or Greek yogurt.Source: Entree to Judaism for Families: Jewish Cooking and Kitchen Conversations with Children