Handmade
Continued from Page 44
Jennifer Wankoff
Jennifer Wankoff, who teaches
at Main Line Art Center, Perkins
Center for the Arts and The Clay Studio,
and owns her eponymous studio, spends
months getting her Chanukah wares fired up.

iday, begins to return on the fifth and is only in full balance on the
eighth night — when light has begun to return to the Earth.

Walton told the Jewish Exponent that most Jewish holidays have
both agrarian and historical roots. She said many people associate
Chanukah with the Maccabees, but the Earth-based portion is often
overlooked. Chanukah falls over the new moon closest to the winter
solstice — the time when the least light is reaching the Earth in the
northern hemisphere.

“With the world plunged into darkness, how frightening a time
this must have been for our ancient ancestors,” Walton exclaimed.

“It is no accident that almost every culture in this half of the world
starts lighting flames at this time of year.”
Menorahs and dreidels at the Mud Room in Ardmore range from
$14 to $25. Someone can design it, paint the item, leave it there to
be glazed and fired, and pick it up in less than a week.

Andrea Tirnauer, owner of the Mud Room, said parents and chil-
dren enjoy making things together and kids love to be creative and
get messy.

“Painting pottery lends to both of those areas,” she said. “The other
positive part of the project is what feelings the kids and families share
when they bring the menorah out and light the candles year after year.”
The Mud Room is partnering with about 60 kids with a youth
group from Lower Merion Synagogue, where they will be doing a
hot chocolate mug-painting project.

In the past, the Mud Room has worked with several of the Main
Line synagogues and helped with youth groups, Chanukah parties
46 NOVEMBER 19, 2015
Parents and children enjoy making
things together and kids love to be creative
and get messy.”
ANDREA TIRNAUER, OWNER OF THE MUD ROOM
and added family activities to Friday evening services. This past spring,
it worked closely with the Jewish Family and Children’s Service of
Greater Philadelphia to prepare flower vases for Holocaust victims.

“As you can see, the bigger picture is much more than painting
pottery as an art project,” Tirnauer said. “The pieces both made and
received will hold a special place in many hearts and that is what
means the most to me.”
Jacques Dahan, president of Michel Cluziel in West Berlin, N.J.,
said the companies’ new 3-D chocolate menorah is already a big hit.

So far, 600 have been ordered, but it can take up to an hour to make
one because of the intricacy of the meringue candles.

“This one is really beautiful,” Zahan said.

The menorah, which is kosher and pareve, has an interesting
backstory, Dahan explained. When his family moved to America
20 years ago from France, his children attended Kellman Brown
Academy in Voorhees Township, N.J., and he and his wife, Laura,
made chocolate menorahs for the teachers.

The confections became a big hit not just in the community, but
WINTER HOLIDAY GUIDE
JEWISHEXPONENT.COM