It all started in December 2000 when our new Youth Director, Amram Bendahan introduced Young Israel to a Chanukah tradition born in Toronto: LATKE, a game played bingo style, with Jewish symbols instead of numbers and big prizes that have every kid in our shul wishing they could play the game every week.

Ten years later, LATKE has evolved a bit; Rabbi Schachter, who followed Amram as Youth Director, introduced a computerized version of the game. In the new technologically advanced version, the letters L-A-T-K-E were replaced with the Hebrew letters chet-nun-vav-chaf-hay, but due to its popularity, the name “LATKE” has remained.

The computerized LATKE game has made the evening run smoother, since winners’ cards can be automatically verified by the computer, and no longer need to be checked by hand.

This year, however, Avi Frier has pledged that the surprises awaiting you at LATKE night will “have people talking for years to come.”

“If you were a little surprised by the way our first V’shinantam of the year rocked the house,” Frier said, “wait until you see what’s in store on LATKE night. It will absolutely blow your mind!”

Frier has already let one surprise leak: Winners of each round of LATKE will have the opportunity to trade in their prizes in a “Let’s Make a Deal”-style format. But he said that the big surprise of the night will not be revealed until the moment it happens.

“The Youth Committee doesn’t know, the rabbis don’t know, my own family doesn’t even know,” Frier said. “You’ve just gotta be there and see it with your own eyes. And even when it happens, some people still might not believe that it was even possible.”

LATKE night will take place on Thursday, December 2, starting at 5:30 PM. Admission of $10 per person for youth members and their families ($15 per person for all others) includes six LATKE game boards, pizza, doughnuts, and more.