The eight-day Hanukkah festival is underway and in Orlando the Jewish community celebrated with a unique contest Thursday -- a potato latke cookoff.
Potato Latkes are fried pancakes traditionally made with shredded potatoes and onions.
"One of the traditions is to eat anything that is fried in oil," said Bonnie Rayman, director of the Jack and Lee Rosen Jewish Community Center. "So traditionally potato latkes or potato pancakes are fried in oil."
Contestants made their fresh latkes in-house to be judged by hotelier Harris Rosen, food critic Rona Gindin and Rabbi Hillel Skolnik. Of the four types of latke judged, Rayman's more traditional latkes won.
"A holiday like Hanukkah reminds people of family, tradition," Rayman said. "So I went with the comfort of traditional latkes, hand grated with nothing fancy."
Oil is an important part of the Hanukkah story. It has to do with the re-dedication of the Temple of Jerusalem after the Maccabees drove foreign invaders from the temple. The Maccabees found there was only a day's worth of ritual oil left to keep the Menorah in the Temple lit. However, it miraculously lasted for eight days.
Members of the Rosen JCC are celebrating more than Hanukkah. On Feb. 1 the JCC will become its own independent organization.