Sufganiyot: Hanukkah Jelly Donuts
Most days I want a donut hole—
a bite-sized, crispy sweet.
But when the lights of Hanukkah shine,
sufganiyot’s my treat.
They’re powdered, pure perfection.
They’re plumped with gushing jelly.
They’re deep-fried donut miracles.
No holes in my Chanukah belly!
a bite-sized, crispy sweet.
But when the lights of Hanukkah shine,
sufganiyot’s my treat.
They’re powdered, pure perfection.
They’re plumped with gushing jelly.
They’re deep-fried donut miracles.
No holes in my Chanukah belly!
This poem is copyright (©) Helen Kemp Zax 2025

About the Writer
Helen Kemp Zax
Helen Kemp Zax loves to write poetry, especially poems that rhyme. Her debut picture book Little Witch’s To-Do List will be published by Abrams Appleseed in 2025. She is co-winner of the 2021 YorkMix International Children’s Poetry Prize, the 2018 MG Katherine Paterson Prize winner, and a 2019 Finalist. Helen's poetry appears in anthologies like The Sea’s Song and Chasing Clouds and in magazines like The Caterpillar. She lives in Washington, D. C. with her husband and their crazy Aussie-doodle Huckleberry Finn.