Behind the Scenes with Geoffrey Baer for 'A Celebration of Hanukkah'

A Celebration of Hanukkah premieres Monday, December 23 at 8:00 pm on all WTTW platforms. Learn more about Hanukkah and its traditions at wttw.com/hanukkah.

In a new special full of nostalgia and holiday cheer, writer and host Geoffrey Baer explores the time-honored traditions of Hanukkah. In A Celebration of Hanukkah, with the help of experts and families alike, Baer discovers the joys of the Jewish holiday. The show tells the story of how Hanukkah came to be, the significance of its treasured traditions, and how families celebrate together across generations. We sat down with Baer to learn more about the making of A Celebration of Hanukkah and what viewers can look forward to.

This interview has been condensed and edited for clarity.

How did the idea for A Celebration of Hanukkah come about?

Geoffrey Baer: Our head of programming commented that PBS has a plethora of Christmas shows, but very few programs about Hanukkah to offer our viewers (and viewers around the country). So I was asked to create one. There was just one challenge: it was already Hanukkah! So I dropped everything I was working on, and, with the help of several WTTW co-workers, scrambled to film as much as we could before all the decorations were down and the celebrations finished. When I could catch my breath, we hired a wonderful producer, Rachel Pikelny, who shepherded the project the rest of the way.

The show features a series of interviews with families. Why did you decide to include these?

Baer: That was one of the fantastic elements producer Rachel Pikelny added to the mix. There are so many different ways families celebrate the holiday and so many personal memories. We wanted to share those stories from a wide array of people in their own words.  Plus, kids always say incredible things.

Which Hanukkah traditions and topics do you explore in the show?

Baer: We, of course, tell the origins of the holiday (using some pretty cool animation), but most of the show is about the fun of celebrating. James Beard Award-winning chef Mindy Segal shows me how her mother made latkes, and adds some gourmet garnishes including a topping of brisket that was one of the best things I’ve ever eaten. At North Shore Kosher Bakery, Ayellet Benezra shows me how they make tens of thousands of jelly donuts called sufganiyot during the holiday. And of course I got to taste those, too (including chocolate filled ones!). We feature the music of a band called the LeeVees from their album Hanukkah Rocks. Band members Adam Gardner (from the indie rock group Guster) and Dave Schneider gave us a hilarious interview about the origins of such tunes as “How Do You Spell Channukkahh?” “Gelt Melts,” and “Goyim Friends” (about all the cool gifts non-Jews get for Christmas while we get socks). We also include music from Chicago’s iconic Maxwell Street Klezmer Band. I clean up in a game of dreidel, follow a parade of orthodox Jews in cars topped with magnetic lighted menorahs, and visit a Hanukkah pop-up bar in Wrigleyville.

Did you learn anything about Hanukkah that you didn’t know before? Did anything about creating this show surprise you?

Baer: Three things stand out! One: Although most of us use the term menorah for the candelabra we light at Hanukkah, a menorah is actually any kind of lamp. The eight-branch menorah we light at Hanukkah is called a hanukiah (with a ninth candle called a shamash just for lighting the others). Two: The commercialization of Hanukkah followed the commercialization of Christmas, which did not really get started until the 1920s. And the jolly image of Santa Claus is an invention of Coca-Cola. Three: Most surprising of all, the story we all have been told about the miracle of the oil burning for eight days (hence the eight-day celebration of Hanukkah) doesn’t actually appear until hundreds of years after the Hanukkah story takes place.

Do you have a favorite moment from filming?

Baer: Well, aside from the aforementioned food tasting, my visit to the Hanukkah pop-up bar in Wrigleyville was something I’ll never forget. The menu includes the Messiah Melt and Gelt Fudge Sundae, and the bar serves such drinks as the Sabbath Night Fever, Mensch Mule, and Rockin’ Rabbi. The well-meaning non-Jewish bar owner was suitably humbled when I good-naturedly pointed out that the bacon and cheese latkes on the menu were treif even though he thought he was on the right side of kashrut by using beef bacon. And his Jewish patrons enthusiastically told us they appreciate a pop-up that celebrates their culture – if not always accurately.

In the spirit of a question raised in the show: do you prefer applesauce or sour cream on latkes?

Baer: Yes, this is a controversy the LeeVees wrote a hilarious song about called “Applesauce vs. Sour Cream,” which they perform in our show. My answer: BOTH! I love them together.

What do you hope viewers will take away from this program?

Geoffrey: As you can see from my answers above, there is such tremendous diversity in the Jewish community and there are so many different ways to celebrate.

What will viewers find on the website?

Baer: On the website, folks will be able to dig deeper into the history of Hanukkah, the foods and traditions of the holiday, and the meaning behind the menorah. People can also hear more from the LeeVees, weigh in on how they spell Hanukkah, and even get that recipe for Mindy’s latkes.