This year, JOI has taken the oil out of the Hanukkah story and into the supermarket! Eight Days of Oil^SM, Hanukkah Olive Oil tasting, is a Public Space Judaism^SM opportunity for local Jewish organizations to share some gourmet olive oil with folks in their local communities who are going about their grocery and specialty shopping. It’s also a chance to share information about the holiday of Hanukkah, and connect shoppers to upcoming events.

With a pilot cohort of 8 communities, from Knoxville Tennessee, to Barrington RI, to Pittsburgh, PA, professionals and lay leaders are reporting back with great results! Pittsburgh’s Jewish community met about 40 passers-by at their local William Sonoma, and Sarasota’s Jewish community collected 40 names. Federations aren’t the only organizations trying eight days of oil. The Hillel at Miami University in Ohio participated in the pilot group, and met 150 students, 140 of whom were new to the Hillel’s database! Professionals who coordinated the program in New Bedford, MA shared that “This was excellent for community relations…” and “all of the volunteers had a marvelous time.” We look forward to working with these these communities to help them cultivate and nurture relationships with these individuals and to help deepen their engagement in Jewish life.

Interested in trying the program next year? Let us (estern@joi.org) know and we’ll help you get started for next year!

Happy Hanukkah!

More pictures after the jump.
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