Written for JewishBoston.com in collaboration with Rani Wise Consulting.
During Hanukkah, community and celebration are woven into our gatherings, our food and our menorah lighting.
You can bring that sense of community to your gift-giving by choosing handmade products made locally for your loved ones. Better yet, celebrate the contributions of women artisans in your community by shopping from one of these eight businesses. Or shop from all eight, one for each night!
Hanukkah Gelt for More Discerning Tastes
(Courtesy EHChocolatier)
Take your dreidel game to the next level with gourmet Hanukkah gelt from EHChocolatier. These decadent treats come in three varieties: 61 percent dark chocolate with candied ginger, 39 percent single origin milk chocolate with candied orange, and dulce de leche with candied cocoa nibs and fleur de sel. Instead of the traditional gold foil, all three are topped with edible gold flakes.
Long-time friends Elaine Hsieh and Catharine Sweeney founded EH Chocolatier in 2010, committed to high-quality confections produced locally in their Somerville kitchen. Their creations have won several awards, including “Best Chocolate” in Boston Magazine’s 2014 and 2015 Best of Boston awards, the “Best Chocolate in the U.S.” by Food and Wine, listed by Fodor’s Travel as one of the “Best American Chocolate Shops,” and “Best in the Box” by the New York Times.
You can visit their kitchen and see how all their chocolates are made.
Midnight Kiss Earrings to Light Up the Night
(Courtesy Porcelain and Stone)
The inspiration for these elegant pendant earrings by Porcelain and Stone was a New Year’s Eve fireworks display, but the tiny gold flecks against the midnight blue porcelain are reminiscent of the twinkling lights of the menorah, too.
Give them as a gift or get a pair to wear to all your Hanukkah and holiday parties.
Porcelain and Stone was founded in 2012 by Kimberly Huestis, a sculptural artist based in Boston. According to her site, all of her statement pieces are “minimal and classic, drawing inspiration from nautical and organic elements with a graceful woman in mind.” And every piece is handcrafted.
A Lovely Enamel Jewelry Set
(Courtesy Mona Enamel)
Keep the colors of the season alive. Deck your loved ones -- or yourself -- out in blue enamel jewelry from Mona Enamel’s Stella Maris collection. Mix and match these unique statement pieces to create a one-of-a-kind look for everyone on your list.
Mona Enamel is owned and operated by Boston-based Simone Parker, who began making enamel jewelry after inheriting her grandmother’s jewelry kiln. Eight years later, she is still using that kiln from the 50s to create beautiful pieces from metal and glass enamel.
Hanukkah Cross Stitch Decoration
(Courtesy A Bean Shop)
“With the lack of Chanukah decorations in the world, this punny piece would make the perfect gift or holiday decoration,” writes A Bean Shop owner Lauren Ecker. And she’s right. This lighthearted cross stitch piece sums up the holiday with tongue firmly in cheek.
The yarn-on-canvas decoration is made to order from the Boston-based company. But, Ecker warns, “We recommend keeping it out of the kitchen during latke making to avoid smelling like oil.”
A Great Gift for the Kids: Paint Your Own Hanukkah Cookies
(Courtesy Sugar Buff)
Finding eight days of Hanukkah activities for kids can be tough. Here’s a creative idea for at least one: paintable Hanukkah cookies from Rockport-based Sugar Buff. Kids will love coloring in their own cookies with edible watercolor paint!
Best of all, they can eat their art when their done!
Sugar Buff is owned and operated by Bridget Demaine. She specializes in customized sugar cookies that are baked to order and decorated with royal frosting. If you’re in the Cape Ann area, you can find her shop in the Bearskin Neck Country Store.
A Stylish Scarf for Chilly Hanukkah Nights
(Courtesy Amisha Design)
Like all of Amisha Design’s textiles, this Delft blue scarf is block printed and sewn by hand in Jaipur, India. Founder Michelle Silvi travels there frequently to work with a community of artisans who practice this traditional art.
Michelle believes in sustainability and sourcing from textile artisans. Through Amisha Design she is raising awareness of the slow fashion movement, a push-back on fast fashion, in which clothes are mass produced quickly and cheaply.
Pro Tip: This scarf also makes a beautiful sarong or wall hanging.
The Gift of Oil to Mark the Holiday
(Courtesy Salt and Olive)
What better way to celebrate the miracle of the lamp than with an olive oil gift set? Salt and Olive, based in Cambridge, carries over 50 different extra virgin olive oils, as well as over 20 white and balsamic vinegars.
Owner Mary Taylor opened her business because she believes food brings people together. “And it’s not always about more ingredients. It’s about the right ingredients,” she says in her site video.
The coolest thing about her shop? It’s also a tap room, where you can sample any of the oils or vinegars. Mix and match to create your own gift basket, or choose from one of their premade ones.
Hanukkah Holiday Cards
(Courtesy Albertine Press)
Every year, you send out a bundle of holiday cards to your friends and family. Some might keep them, but most probably get thrown away or buried in a pile on a desk.
Instead of a less-than-memorable card from some print site, why not give a piece of art they’re sure to hold onto?
“It’s a Miracle” Hanukkah cards by Albertine Press are understated and sophisticated. They’re printed on an antique press using 100 percent cotton paper and come with matching envelopes. These simple cards are pretty enough to frame.
Shelley Barandes, founder of Albertine Press, describes herself as a “sometimes architect who just loved paper more.” She and her team create everything from custom wedding invitations to journals on a variety of antique and modern presses in their Cambridge studio.
Their work is unique, distinctive and reflects a love of the art of printing.
At Hanukkah, we celebrate the light of the season, the warmth of family and the miracle of a lasting gift. All eight artisans offer one-of-a-kind, handmade gifts that are thoughtfully sourced, sustainable, beautifully made and truly representative of the Festival of Lights.