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Skirball Cultural Center Presents Virtual Hanukkah Celebration

Rather than gathering in person to celebrate the festival of lights, the center is putting on a virtual Hanukkah celebration on Zoom and Youtube.
[additional-authors]
December 3, 2020
From left to right: Gili Yalo, photo by Michael Topyol; Mostly Kosher, photo by Rick Raasch; Skirball storyteller, photo courtesy of Skirball staff

Since its first winter in 1996, the Skirball Cultural Center aimed to provide meaningful and fun Hanukkah programming for everyone in Los Angeles. Rachel Stark, director of education at the Skirball Center, told the Journal that this year is no different, despite the pandemic.

Rather than gathering in person to celebrate the festival of lights, the center is putting on a virtual Hanukkah celebration on Zoom and Youtube. On Dec. 13, families can tune in live at 3:00 p.m. for a jammed packed event featuring a candle lighting, sing-along, puppet show storytelling of the Hanukkah story and musical performances from local klezmer group Mostly Kosher and Israeli psychedelic funk musician Gili Yalo.

“How do you capture a program that regularly serves over a thousand families laughing, dancing and eating together into a moment online,” Stark said. “We tried to capture the best of what the holiday is all about and what the Skirball experience is. We tried to package it in a way that felt of this moment and would be a chance for families to come near and far. Families can celebrate traditions and create new memories.”

Mostly Kosher frontman Leeav Sofer and violinist Janice Mautner Markham told the Journal that performing at the Skirball on Hanukkah is an annual tradition for the group who is usually booked-up with gigs during the holidays. (Before the pandemic, Mostly Kosher were regular performers at Disney’s annual Festival of Holidays at Disney California Adventure Parks.) When they got the call to perform virtually, it was a no-brainer decision.

“It’s a little bit different, of course, because of being virtual, but it was so much fun filming it, and we’re really looking forward to it,” Mautner Markham said. “We feel so honored to be part of an organization and venue and community like Skirball that not only embraces the Jewish community but puts down the draw bridge to make sure there is something for everyone.”

Guided through Jewish tradition and history, the Skirball Center offers an array of programs year-round celebrating diversity, equality, religion and culture. Sofer said he loves performing for the center since both their messages and ideals align so well.

Since the pandemic, Mostly Kosher — comprised of drummer Eric Hagstrom, bassist Adam Levy, accordionist Gee Rabe, trombonist Taylor Covey and Aníbal Seminario on clarinet and sax in addition to Sofer and Mautner Markham— moved into a studio and spent months producing several new songs. Audiences will be able to hear their new hits during the virtual extravaganza.

Sofer added that this experience is special because, in addition to performing as a musical act, they get to emcee the entire experience.

“We get to take the audience through the journey,” “Janice and I feel so at home at the Skirball. The Skirball has really embraced our projects and celebrated us as Jewish Los Angeles community artists. It’s an honor to be emcees of this Hanukkah event.”

Unlike many virtual Zoom experiences and pre-recorded pandemic content, the Hanukkah program will allow multiple opportunities to interact with the Kosher emcees. Stark said they wanted families to be able to engage with the video while also feeling connected to others simultaneously watching. Twenty families submitted videos of frying latkes, singing Hanukkah songs, teaching pets the story of Hanukkah and other ways they celebrate the holiday. The videos will play in between segments during the Skirball presentation.

Unlike many virtual Zoom experiences and pre-recorded pandemic content, the Hanukkah program will allow multiple opportunities to interact with the Kosher emcees.

The Skirball is also encouraging families to tune in on Zoom before the event to participate in their Hanukkah Show and Tell. Kids will be able to learn about hanukkiot from the Skirball’s museum collection and virtually connect with members of the Skirball community. The pre-show activity runs from 2:30 p.m. to 3:00 p.m. Register here to receive the Zoom link.

While Stark is excited to see all the elements of the YouTube experience, the puppet show will resonate most because of how the story is performed.

“Puppetry is an important medium to us at the Skirball because of our Noah’s Ark exhibition [their interactive exhibit retelling the Noah story through hundreds of sculptures and puppets],” Stark said. “Storytelling is at the heart of the Skirball in everything we do. I’m excited that we have an original production performed by the very talented Noah’s Ark educators Julia [Garcia Combs] and Mario [Ibarra.] It’s all about the fight for freedom and the triumph over oppression.”

It isn’t a Hanukkah party without the symbolic fried food. Stark told her friends while she can’t host a Hanukkah party this year, she’s encouraging them and the rest of the community to swing by the Skirball Center to pick up savory and sweet Hanukkah boxes to eat during the YouTube premier.

Families can choose from boxes of 12 or 24 latkes that come with all the fixings: sliced lox, lumpfish caviar, crème fraîche and house-made applesauce. The Hanukkah sweet tooth can also order boxes filled with raspberry sufganiyot (jelly doughnuts), cookies and chocolate gelt. Pre-orders are available until Wednesday, Dec. 9 at 4:00 p.m. Pickup starts on Dec. 13 at noon until 2:30 when the pre-show Zoom programming begins.  

“[The Skirball Hanukkah Celebration] can be your Hanukkah party,” Stark said. “For Skirball families who have come every year, this is the way to be together while apart.”

The Skirball Hanukkah Celebration premieres on YouTube on Sunday, Dec. 13 at 3:00 p.m. PT. For more information on events, visit their website.

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