Pictured above are contestants and judges: Sitting L-R are contestants: Steven Linder, Brad Legum, Brett Pasternak, Dan Eisen, Motti Wein, Josh Rehr, and Ryan Shaw. Standing L-R are: Lyle Winokur (contestant), Rachel Serkin, Raizy Rubin, Jessica Rosengarten, Zohar Kastner, Justin Hirsch - all judges, and Craig Shafiro, contestant.

Nine contestants (representing the eight candles and the Shamash) vied to eat the most Latkes in a span of eight minutes, corresponding to the eights night of the Chanukah holiday. Dan Eisen (seated in center with white sticker on dark-shirt) an accounting major won first place by eating nine huge sized Latkes (approximately the size of a large slice of bread). Greg Shafiro (standing on far right), a graduate student in the school of Information Science, won second place at nearly eight Latkes.

Mike and Dan's running play-by-play commentary was superb and hilarious. Mike Landsman is a sportscaster for WCDB campus radio, Dan Small is a board member on both Koach and L'chaim.	The planning committee (not all members pictured) and friends discuss how many minutes would be appropriate and decided on eight in honor of the eight nights of the holiday.

On Thursday Night, December 8th, the first ever Latke Eating Contest, titled “LatkeFest ‘05” was held at the University’s Campus Center Commons, outside Dreidels

Contestants prepare for and await the first-ever Latke Eating Contest at UAlbany...

Special hats were designed for the contestants	It was a spectacle to watch...

The LatkeFest event was sponsored by the L’chaim and Hillel student groups (student association funded), Danes After Dark, UAlbany Hillel and Shabbos House. Mike Landsman, sportscaster and commentator for UAlbany’s WCDB and Dan Small of the L’chaim and Koach student groups, provided dramatic and entertaining running commentary for the many students in the audience of over 100 students.

The monster-size tasty Latkes were prepared at Kosher Dining at Dutch Quad.

Greg Shafiro stands and eats two at a time to get as many down as he can. Ryan Shaw is working on his while sitting down.	Contestants at Latke Eating while the Judges stand behind.

This event was held pre-Chanukah due to the fact that the Chanukah Holiday begins this year (2005) on December 25th and therefore falls during Winter Break.

A partial view from above... Campus TV set-up a camera behind the pillar on right.