In December of 2022, as our daughter turned three, I spoke to her about Hannukah as often as I could. Three is an age when children become extremely cognizant of their surroundings and their culture. I was slightly dismayed to find that our daughter was obsessed only with Christmas, which she heard about nonstop at her daycare in the Adelaide Hills. I went to a bookshop hoping to find books about Hannukah, but there were none—literally zero. I finally sourced a few from a Jewish shop in Sydney, but they were outdated and focused on Northern Hemisphere seasonal patterns. Finally, I thought, I will write my own.

Hannukamas Down Under is the story I wrote of a Jewish child who befriends an Afghani child at school, with their families coming together to light the menorah, eat latkes, and eat Kabuli Pulao. The book (approx. 11 pages) is currently in first-draft phase. My next steps are to find an illustrator and also get feedback from an expert on children’s books, particularly someone focused on culturally sensitive issues. I plan to self-publish the book, although I am open to offers from Australian publishers.

I hope that Hannukamas Down Under will provide Australian children with a story about cultures who celebrate the end-of-year in ways other than having a Christmas tree. I hope it will make Jewish or part-Jewish children feel more normal, and inspire cross-cultural friendship.

You can support Hannukamas Down Under by pre-ordering a copy. I hope to have first-edition copies available by September of 2023. Please note that the price includes shipping within Australia. For delivery outside Australia, please send me an email.