The Garden City Hotel Hosts First Annual Scholastic Chanukah Latke Cook-Off

Students from the Solomon Schechter High School of Long Island located in Williston Park and students from the Hebrew Academy of Nassau County located in Uniondale took part in the First Annual Long Island Scholastic Chanukah Latke Cook-Off at The Garden City Hotel.

Rachel Levian of Great Neck, a senior at the Hebrew Academy of Nassau County, and Matthew Wertheim of Huntington, an eleventh grader of the Solomon Schechter High School of Long Island, presented their teams’ latkes to Justice Jerry Reisman, Rabbi Anchelle Perl of the Chabad of Mineola, and Hempstead Supervisor Kate Murray.

Students from each school prepared three latke recipes which were judged by an all-star panel of latke connoisseurs. The students were required to submit one traditional latke recipe; the other two submissions were left to their culinary imagination, creativity and expertise.

The Hebrew Academy of Nassau County presented a Persian latke and a falafe-latke with fries. Solomon Schechter High School of Long Island presented a Spanakilatke Greek latke and an apple, beet and sweet potato dessert latke.

Solomon Schechter High School of Long Island was represented by: Carelle Mann, a senior from Upper Brookville; Ashley Miller, a senior from Brooklyn; Matthew Wertheim, a junior from Huntington and Hannah Schoeffler, a sophomore from Huntington.

The Hebrew Academy of Nassau County was represented by: Rachel Levian, a senior from Great Neck; Leah Glatzerman, a junior from Melville; Ari Levine, a junior from West Hempstead and Mathew Katz, a junior from Plainview.

The competition was judged by a panel, including: Hempstead Supervisor Kate Murray; Garden City Village Clerk Brian Ridgway; Rabbi Anchelle Perl of the Chabad of Mineola; Jerry Reisman, Justice for the Villages of North Hills and Great Neck and partner at Reisman, Peirez, Reisman and Capobianco; The Garden City Hotel Catering Manager Paul de la Vega; and Executive Chef Michael Mandato.