Life and Latkes: A Chanukah of New Beginnings
A new family and new traditions arose from the ashes of divorce.
“What are you going to be for Chanukah, Mommy?” my three-year-old daughter asked. She’d made a plausible connection to Halloween, which was still in the rear view mirror. I didn’t have a good answer and, to buy time, wholeheartedly endorsed her plan to be a fairy.
Chanukah eight years ago commemorated a fresh start for our family as I emerged from the ruble of a protracted divorce to build a new life in California with my daughter, Ruby, and my fiancé, Dane. Ruby did not yet comprehend the idea of being Jewish. This was the year I introduced her to the “Celebration of Lights” since the previous year she’d been too young to absorb it. Dane, who was not Jewish, would be learning about the holiday along with her.
To cement tradition, I made sure we lit the candles in the menorah each night. Sometimes it was a challenge to make it home in time from work, and Ruby got to stay up an hour later so we could reinforce the ritual. As a single mom, I felt the weight of ensuring that these traditions got passed on to her. Luckily, I had a supportive partner in Dane who cheered me on from the sidelines and made sure the candles were in place as I skidded through the doorway.
