Hanukkah Gift Guide: The 14 Best Hanukkah Gifts for 2024, All From Jewish and Israeli Owned Brands

My favorite holiday is just around the corner. I look forward to Hanukkah every year — and this year, it coincides with Christmas, so we can have the happiest holiday season of all! Hanukkah starts the evening of Wednesday, December 25, and runs through January 2, 2025. 

I've always loved Hanukkah — and, honestly, not because of the presents I've gotten. (Although I will always love the tradition my mom, brother, and I began years ago, where we'd each have a paper grocery bag under the piano and would toss gifts into them throughout the month leading up to Hanukkah for the others to open.) Lighting the menorah is such a beautiful way to connect to the Jewish faith throughout all eight nights, and singing the prayers with my family (whether IRL or over Facetime) is one of my most-loved traditions of the entire year.

Last year, I put together a Hanukkah gift guide featuring products from Jewish-owned and Israeli-owned brands. In the wake of October 7, connecting with Judaism has become more important to me than ever, and I find it important to encourage shopping from these brands to most truly represent the holiday. To that end, this year's gift guide features a new plethora of gifts from a variety of Jewish and Israeli brands, too! If you need a gift for a friend or family member who celebrates Hanukkah — or you just want to treat yourself (hint, hint), keep reading to discover the 14 best Hanukkah gifts you simply need to get this year.

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What to Do in Los Angeles: Visit Astra Lumina at the South Coast Botanic Garden

"Shoot for the moon. Even if you miss, you'll land among the stars." Thanks to Astra Lumina, I was lucky enough to experience a moment just like that.

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Where to Stay in Las Vegas: The Cosmopolitan Hotel

My favorite hotel in Las Vegas? Hands down, it's The Cosmopolitan of Las Vegas. From the well-appointed guest rooms to the luxurious spa, the multiple pools to the variety of restaurants, there truly isn't any comparison. Plus, the location right in the center of the Las Vegas Strip can't be beat! Read on to see why this is where you should stay next time you head to Sin City.

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Get to Know Actress Actress and Singer Ruby Lewis, Currently Starring in Love Actually Live at The Wallis

If you live in Los Angeles and you're around during the holiday season, there's one activity absolutely worth doing — taking in a performance of Love Actually Live at The Wallis. I've seen it twice, and it's been overwhelmingly fun and joyous both times. That's thanks in large part to the astonishingly wonderful cast, helmed this year by the incomparable Ruby Lewis playing the part of Sarah (and, on the night I saw it, doubling as Natalie). I sat down with Ruby to chat about her beginnings in musical theater, how she came to be part of this quintessential LA holiday tradition (that's now celebrating the movie's 20th anniversary!), and even some of her go-to beauty product favorites. Keep reading to find out more!

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Hanukkah Gift Guide: The 13 Best Hanukkah Gifts for 2023, All From Jewish and Israeli Owned Brands

Hanukkah starts this Thursday, December 7. It's my favorite holiday — not because of the gifts, although of course getting eight nights of presents as a kid was pretty darn amazing. My mom, brother and I would each put a large grocery bag underneath our piano, and then we'd toss in gifts for each other for the month or so leading up to Hanukkah until they were all but overflowing!

But, even as a kid, what I loved more than the gifts was the traditions we as Jews celebrate during this time. I love lighting the menorah, and have actually lit it with my mom and brother over FaceTime for years if we can't be together (though the photo above is of my mom and me lighting it on the last night, two years ago). I love the latkes and the sufganiyot (donuts). I love playing the dreidel game (and hopefully winning the most Hanukkah gelt). I love the songs and the Hanukkah candle blessings. Most of all, I love the fact that this holiday represents a time when the Jews refused to let our light go out, both literally and figuratively. In this time that's rife with antisemitism and a rise in hatred against Jews and Israel, that means more to me than ever before.

To that end, I decided to create a Hanukkah gift guide this year. I haven't put together gift guides on the blog in awhile, but I really wanted to find a way to celebrate this holiday. All of the products in this guide are by Jewish-owned and Israeli-owned brands — it was important to me to have them truly represent this holiday. If you're looking for a gift for a friend or family member who celebrates Hanukkah — or you just want one for yourself (hint hint), keep reading to discover the 13 best Hanukkah gifts worthy of the eight nights of lights!

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