Now that Hanukkah is behind us I've received a number of emails asking: how do we get all this wax off our hanukkiyahs?! It's a valid question. Who wants to store away a waxy hanukkiyah or, even worse, unveil a wax-encrusted hanukkiyah when the holiday rolls around next year?

I have always used hot water to quickly and painlessly remove wax from my hanukkiyah, though I'm sure there are other methods out there. Here is how I do it:

1. Put your hanukkiyah in a large baking dish deep enough for the hanukkiyah to be submerged in water.
2. Bring a pot of water to boil. Remove from your stove and allow the water to cool for a few minutes, until it's really hot, but not at boiling temperature.
3. Pour the water over your hanukkiyah. Let it sit for a minute. Use paper towels to wipe off the melting wax. You can use a butter knife to scrape away any stubborn pieces of wax, but cover the knife with a piece of soft cloth first to avoid scratching the hanukkiyah.

If you have a hanukkiyah that isn't washable, I've heard that sticking it in the freezer will cause any remaining wax to become brittle and easy to peel off.

Do you have another method? Please share!

• The iconic 'Arbeit Macht Frei' ('Work will set you free') sign was stolen from the Auschwitz death camp memorial. A spokesperson for the Auschwitz-Birkenau Museum called the theft "a profanation of the place where more than a million people were murdered." [via Forward]
• Germany is donating $87 million to a new endowment for Auschwitz-Birkenau to preserve barracks, gas chambers and other evidence of Nazi crimes. [via YNet]
• From lighting a public menorah each night, to synagogue Hanukkah parties, to mini Klezmer festivals, Budapest is apparently Hanukkah central this year. [via JTA]
• About's Celiac Disease Guide published a helpful article about gluten-free Hanukkah recipes.
• In case you wondered what White House Hanukkah latkes looked like at the President's party. [via Tablet]
• From "Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer" to "I'll Be Home For Christmas," many of the most popular Christmas songs were, in fact, written by Jews. Yes, including the iconic line "I'm dreaming of a white Christmas..."  [via NYT]
• A 13-year-old boy was buried in a special section of Madrid's Jewish cemetery because he had a Conservative conversion to Judaism. The boy died after suffering from brain cancer and was buried in a section reserved for those whose Jewishness is in question. [via Forward]
• Secular Jewish parents in Israel are being forced to send adopted children to Orthodox schools in order for the rabbinate to convert them to Judaism. [via Haaretz]
• Tarantino's Inglourious Basterds movie snagged four Golden Globe nominations.
• In a new book about Adolf Hitler author Joachim Riecker claims the Nazi leader hated Jews because he believed his mother was poisoned to death by a Jewish doctor. [via Haaretz]
• A far right-wing Jewish group is paying IDF soldiers for refusing to evacuate Jewish settlements. Two such soldiers were rewarded with 1,000 shekels per day for the 20 days they spent in military prison after disobeying orders. [via Forward]

Image via Haaretz

The Jerusalem Post published a heart-warming story today about a Jewish woman named Karen Shulman, who lives and works in Rwanda. When she first accepted the position many of her friends and family were concerned that she would be isolated on the Jewish holidays. Turns out, Karen would be anything but alone on the holidays.

This year's Hanukkah celebration is a perfect example. Some three dozen people from countries as diverse as Israel, Canada, the United States, Uganda and, of course, Rwanda, joined her for a "Hanukkah Hano" party, which means "Hanukka is here" in Kinyarwanda. Held at her home, the party was publicized as a chance to "enjoy the Jewish Festival of Lights - Kigali style." Although Shulman said only about a third of attendees were Jewish, everyone enjoyed latkes made from potatoes and plantains, as well as sufganiyot (donuts) ordered from a local bakery. The hanukkiyah Shulman had hoped to use at the party was not ready in time, so she improvised and used beer bottles to hold the candles - one must be creative when trying to observe Jewish holidays in Rwanda.

Click here to read more about Shulman's experiences in Rwanda, as well as about the Jewish community in Namibia.

Photo by David Druce via JPost

• King Arthur Flour featured a scrumptious looking cupcake hanukkiyah in their newsletter this week. If I had children these would certainly be on my "must make" list.
• Also in the edible hanukkiyah category, check out this Forward article on challahs shaped like hanukkah menorahs.
• Barack Obama shared a Hanukkah message with the world in both Hebrew and English, concluding "May Hanukkah's lessons inspire us all to give thanks for the blessings we enjoy, to find light in times of darkness, and to work together for a brighter, more hopeful tomorrow." [via CBS]
• Have you seen this Hanukkah flash mob, which brought more than 150 people together on Jerusalem's Ben Yehuda street?
• This New York Times Op-Ed sheds an interesting light on both sides of the Hanukkah story.
• Check out this mouth-watering slide show of culinary delights that "gentile chefs" have created for their Jewish spouses. I'd like one of those apple-cider donuts or cheese danishes please.