As I touched down in Greece recently for my friend Hen Mazzig’s wedding to his partner, Marc Jorden, I couldn’t help but draw a comparison between Mazzig and the ancient Maccabees of the Hanukkah story—Jewish freedom fighters who resisted the attempts of a Greek king to force them to reject their heritage in place of pagan customs.

Born in Israel to an Iraqi mother and a Tunisian father, Mazzig eventually found his way to London. There, he rose to prominence as a digital content creator and writer focused on advocacy around Mizrahi Jewish life, in the process preserving the unique traditions and perspectives of the nearly 1 million Jews who left or were forcibly exiled from Middle Eastern and North African countries after Israeli independence in 1948.

“The stories of Mizrahi Jews are an essential part of our history,” said Mazzig, who grew up eating his mother’s Moroccan sfinge doughnuts on Hanukkah. “Whether they’re oral histories or recipes passed down from generation to generation, they serve as a vital bridge between the Jewish past, present and future.”

Since the Hamas terror attacks of October 7, 2023, Mazzig’s mission has broadened beyond the protection of Jewish heritage. Through his platform of nearly 400,000 Instagram followers—and hundreds of thousands more on X, TikTok and Meta’s Threads—his voice has emerged as a centrist one in a polarized social media atmosphere. His nuanced posts provide context intended to help Jews explain their pro-Israel leanings in the face of rising antisemitism as well as commentary and explanations for non-Jewish followers. Some have featured criticism of the Israeli government and sympathy for the plight of Palestinians in Gaza. Prominent celebrities including Debra Messing, Mayim Bialik and Gal Gadot have shared Mazzig’s posts, leading The New York Times to title an article about him “A Whisperer to the Stars on the Middle East Conflict.”

His Jewish wedding to the British-born Jorden was held in Greece primarily to accommodate family flying in from Israel and England. (The couple live in London.) Beyond its geographic accessibility, Mazzig said, “Greece was the natural choice for our wedding because the food and culture felt so familiar; the overlap between Greece and Israeli cuisine is remarkable.”

Hanukkah customs and cuisines in Israel often feature overlapping cultures as well, and in the case of one well-known food personality, are similarly Greek inspired. Israeli cookbook author Shaily Lipa, whose ancestors come from Salonika in Greece, celebrates the eight-day festival that begins this year on December 14 with some of the recipes featured in her new cookbook, Yassou: The Simple, Seasonal Mediterranean Cooking of Greece.

“Greeks love to make fritters, in part to use up things in the kitchen and not waste,” said Lipa, who lives in Raanana. “And we fry everything in olive oil, which during Hanukkah also honors the miracle of the oil that lasted in the Holy Temple for eight days.”

Her vegetarian tomatokeftedes (Santorini Tomato Patties) make great use of tomatoes past their prime. They make a bright addition to a Mediterranean Hanukkah menu, or in place of starchier latkes. And Lipa’s loukoumades—traditional Greek doughnuts soaked in honey after frying—are a crowd-pleasing substitution for the more routine jelly doughnut. B’teyavon! 

Lipa’s Tips for Successful Frying

• When frying in olive oil, select a good-quality brand.
• Lower the handle of a wooden spoon into hot oil; if small bubbles form around the handle, the oil is ready for frying.
• Place a carrot in the oil during frying to regulate the temperature and draw impurities out of the oil.
• Strain the oil between batches and replace it altogether after 2 or 3 uses.
• Drain fried patties and doughnuts on a rack set over a baking sheet, allowing oil to drip away. Alternatively, drain on paper towels.

Santorini Tomato Patties 

Ingredients

• 5 medium heirloom tomatoes or 8 tomatoes on the vine, halved horizontally
• 1 small red onion, finely chopped
• 1 scallion (white and light green parts only), thinly sliced
• 3 tablespoons finely chopped flat-leaf parsley
• 2 tablespoons finely chopped fresh basil
• 3/4 teaspoon kosher salt, plus more to taste
• 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper, plus more to taste
• 1 1/4 cup all-purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 3/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil

 Directions

1. Using a teaspoon, scoop out the tomato seeds. Discard the seeds. Chop the tomatoes into 1-inch chunks and transfer to a large bowl. Add the red onion, scallion, parsley, basil, salt and pepper, and knead with your hand for about a minute, until the mixture gains a pulpy texture.
2. In a separate bowl, stir together the flour and baking powder. Add the flour mixture to the tomato mixture and combine them well. Let rest for 10 minutes.
3. Do a taste test. In a small pan with a little oil, fry a tiny portion of the tomato mixture. Taste and adjust the seasoning, if needed.
4. Moisten your hands with a little water to keep the mixture from sticking to them. Use your hands to scoop out about a heaping tablespoon of the tomato mixture, shape it into a 2-inch patty and pack the mixture down so it won’t fall apart. Place the patty on a plate or a tray. Repeat until you have used up all the tomato mixture.
5. Cover the bottom of a medium nonstick pan with olive oil at least 1/4-inch deep and place over medium heat. Working in batches, fry 3 to 4 patties for 2 to 3 minutes on each side, until golden, using two forks to turn them. Take the patties out and drain them. Repeat with the rest of the tomato patties.
6. Serve warm or at room temperature with yogurt or tzatziki, if desired. Leftover patties can be stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 4 days. To reheat, warm in a 325°oven for 6 to 8 minutes.

Greek Doughnuts

Ingredients 

For the syrup

• 1 cup sugar
• 3/4 cup water
• 1/2 cup honey
• 1 cinnamon stick

For the doughnuts

• 1 1/2 cups lukewarm water
• 2 teaspoons active dry yeast
• 2 tablespoons honey
• 1 tablespoon sugar
• 1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
• 1/4 packed cup cornstarch
• 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 4 cups vegetable oil, approximately, for frying

Directions

1. Prepare the syrup: In a medium saucepan, mix together the 1 cup sugar, 3/4 cup water, 1/2 cup honey and cinnamon stick. Bring to a boil over medium heat, reduce the heat to low and simmer uncovered for about 5 minutes, until the sugar and honey dissolve completely and the syrup is clear. Remove from the heat and let cool to room temperature. Remove and discard the cinnamon stick.
2. Prepare the doughnuts: In a medium bowl, mix the 1 1/2 cups lukewarm water, yeast, 2 tablespoons honey and 1 tablespoon sugar until everything is dissolved. Let sit for 10 minutes until the mixture is bubbly.
3. In a large bowl, mix the flour, cornstarch and salt. Add the yeast mixture and vanilla and whisk until the batter is smooth and uniform. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and let it sit at room temperature for 50 to 60 minutes, until the batter doubles
   in size.
4. Cover a medium skillet with vegetable oil at least 3-inches deep, approximately 4 cups. Bring the oil to medium-high heat. Working in batches, fill an ice cream scoop halfway with batter and carefully drop it into the hot oil. Portion out about 6 or 7 doughnuts like this, being careful not to overcrowd the pan, and fry for 2 to 3 minutes on each side, until golden, using a slotted spoon to turn them over.
5. Take the doughnuts out and drain them. Repeat with the rest of the batter.  Transfer the hot doughnuts to a serving plate and pour the reserved syrup over them. Serve immediately.

Adeena Sussman is the author of Shabbat: Recipes and Rituals from My Kitchen to Yours and Sababa: Fresh, Sunny Flavors from My Israeli Kitchen. She lives in Tel Aviv.