Hanukkah 2020 — beginning December 10 and running through December 18 — will be celebrated by Jewish families in the United States in many of the usual ways: with nightly menorah lightings, special prayers and foods such as latkes and sufganiyot (jelly-filled donuts).
But because of the coronavirus pandemic, this year’s Hanukkah commemorations will include new precautions.
Large gatherings will be replaced by much smaller ones. Families will have virtual visits with loved ones. Congregation Etz Hayim, in Arlington, Virginia, is among the countless synagogues that will host Hanukkah events online. Its members will reinforce their connections on computer screens — on which they will share recipes, cook together and even play the dreidel game across many miles.
