79th Annual Latke-Hamantash Debate @UChicago
79th Annual Latke-Hamantash Debate  @UChicago
Uploaded March 2026 | Updated September 2026, 1 week ago
The Latke-Hamantash Debate has been a cherished UChicago tradition since 1946, rigorously questioning the merits of the festive foodstuffs of Hanukkah and Purim. For the past 79 years, the Latke-Hamantash Debate has reveled in ornate silliness while featuring prominent faculty, Nobel laureates and UChicago presidents. The tongue-in-cheek proceedings have inspired similar debates across the country, and even a book published by the University of Chicago Press. In 2026, members of the University of Chicago community argued for the superiority of potato pancakes versus cookies—this time, by investigating Snackonomics and the hidden forces that shape what we eat. The event, which is put on by the University of Chicago Hillel, took place in the illustrious Rockefeller Memorial Chapel where UChicago Hillel had its first ever meeting in the 1940s. Presenters included Professors Linda Ginzel, Avner Strulov-Schlain, and Joseph Bruch along with Rabbi Daniel Kirzane of KAM Isaiah Israel. The Latke-Hamantash Debate is an initiative of the University of Chicago Hillel, generously underwritten by the Gemunder Family Foundation. Learn more about the Latke-Hamantash Debate at UChicago Hillel's website: uchicagohillel.org/latke-hamantash-debate.

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79th Annual Latke-Hamantash Debate

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