Manischewitz’s Chanukah House: A New Tradition for Kids and Families

Dec 15, 2025 by The Jewish Voice And Opinion Staff

By The Jewish Voice And Opinion Staff

All families love holiday traditions. Old ones for Chanukah have been handed down from generation to generation—latkes, sufganiyot (store-bought and homemade), and ḥanukkiyot made from materials ranging from precious metals to bottlecaps.

Manischewitz, the company producing Jewish traditional foods since the late 1800s, when Rabbi Dov Behr Manischewitz opened a small matzo bakery in Cincinnati, Ohio, has come up with a new Chanukah custom: building a cottage, called a Chanukah House, just for the holiday.

Based on the general community’s gingerbread house, an icon made famous by Engelbert Humperdinck’s fairytale opera, Hansel and Gretel, Manischewitz’s Chanukah House is a do-it-yourself kit that includes everything needed to create a festive, edible sculpture, including cookie “walls,” four icing colors to hold everything together, sprinkles, mini beads, a Magen David, and menorah sugar decorations and sanding sugar.

Incredibly easy and fun to do (the assembling instructions are easy to follow, and an Easy Build Tray is included), it’s an activity that engages adults and children at home and at Chanukah parties. Best of all, it’s all packaged together, requiring no prep time for the grownups and very little cleanup for everyone.

The Chanukah House is certified kosher dairy by the Orthodox Union and is peanut and tree-nut-free. The kit is available on Amazon, at Walmart, and in most kosher take-outs and grocery stores.

Chanukah House is a hit at holiday parties.

Swedish Dishcloths Make a Great Gift!

To clean up any mess after the Chanukah House is complete—and maybe eaten—try using a Swedish Dishcloth, available at ThreeBlueBirds.com. Embossed with a choice of over 250 designs, each of these dishcloths replaces about 17 rolls of paper towels. Since they range in price from $6-$7, the savings are apparent—and they do reduce waste.

We used one in blue decorated with a navy Chanukiah and two Magen Davids, edged with vines. Just beautiful. The other designs range from just as pretty to whimsical and truly gorgeous.