by Amy Schwartz
Which tastes better, the latke or the hamentash? Does the hamentash contain the secret of the universe? Is the latke a threat to society?
Every year shortly before Purim, the Jewish Study Center and Adas Israel Congregation in Washington, DC co-sponsor the famous Latke-Hamentash Debate, in which scholars and leaders apply their various flavors of expertise to debating the urgent matter of comparing these two popular holiday foods.
This year’s Latke-Hamentash Debate will take place Wednesday, February 13, at Adas Israel Congregation, 2850 Quebec St. NW, in Washington, DC at 7 p.m. Extensive audience research will follow with both latkes and hamentashen available for sampling (and maybe some drinks).
The annual event, a display of what was traditionally known as “Purim Torah,” gets audiences in the mood for Purim by its elaborate use of mock scholarship and jokes. The University of Chicago pioneered the original “Latke-Hamentash Symposium” more than 35 years ago; that event takes place in full academic regalia just before Hanukkah.
This year’s celebrity moderator is Laura Blumenfeld, bestselling author of Revenge: A Story of Hope.
Panelists include:
Gil Steinlauf, Senior Rabbi of Adas Israel, on “Why the Hamentash Contains the Secret of the Universe.”
Russell Shaw, Head of School, Georgetown Day School
Rachel Giattino, Director of Operations, Gather the Jews
Maya Bernstein, privacy advocate, US Department of Health and Human Services
ASL translators: Paula Tucker and Rhea Kennedy, Gallaudet University
Admission: $12 for Adas and JSC members, $15 for non-members includes all the research materials you can eat! $5 off if you register beforehand at www.jewishstudycenter.org.