This story first appeared as part of the Florida on a Tankful Holiday Spectacular.
It doesn't matter if you spell it with an H or a C.
"The only thing that is important is that there are eight letters," Ellen Goetz said. "If you can start it with a Ch, that's fine. You can start it with an H, end it with an H. That's fine."
The festival of Hanukkah is just around the corner, and you can find it early in St. Petersburg.
Sure, there's matzo balls and even craft beer brewed for the occasion, but Jo-El's co-owner, Ellen Goetz, can sum up the holidays in one sentence: "The most important thing is being together," she said.
Ellen and her husband, Joel, are co-owners of Jo-el's, a kosher deli and grocery store.
"People started to show (up) and ask for smoked white fish and other things that were very into the Jewish food line," Joel Goetz said.
They swung open the doors 32 years ago.
"We expanded the operation from the three-car garage into the building that we're in now," Joel said.
Three decades of serving bagels later, Joel and Ellen Goetz are ready for their busy season.
This time of year, Joel and his team are getting ready for the Festival of Lights by making latkes, a traditional favorite during Hanukkah.
"Usually, we make some in advance and have them frozen so we can accommodate the rush at the beginning, then we are making fresh potato pancakes all week long," Joel said.
Joel and Ellen anticipate thousands of latkes will feed the Tampa Bay area over Hanukkah.
"In Judaism, as many other religions, food is important," Ellen said.
While the potatoes are popular, potato is not the most important ingredient.
"The important part of the holiday is oil,” Ellen said, sharing history behind Hanukkah. "There was only enough oil for one night, but somehow — miraculously — the lamp stayed lit for eight nights."
Also symbolic of Hanukkah: spinning the dreidel for prizes known as gelt. Spinning the dreidel takes a certain technique.
Land on the right side and collect prizes, like a dreidel baking pan in the Hanukkah section of the store. Or you have to pay up.
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