The latke for Linda

Temple Isaiah in Newport Beach will celebrate the beginning of Hanukkah today by making what they believe to be the world’s largest potato latke cooked with solar energy.

Organizers, who are calling the Temple Isaiah event a Hanukkah “Solarbration,” estimate the latke will be anywhere from 18 inches to 3 feet long. The potato pancake will be cooked with the help of a large solar oven.

Latkes, or fried pancakes traditionally eaten during Hanukkah, have a symbolic meaning for the holiday — as does solar energy, said Rabbi Marc Rubenstein.

The oil latkes are fried in represents the consecrated oil used to fuel the eternal flame in the Temple in Jerusalem. According to the Talmud, there was only enough oil to fuel the temple flame in Jerusalem for one day after the end of the Maccabean war, but it miraculously lasted for eight days.

Hanukkah, which commemorates the rededication of the Second Temple in Jerusalem, begins at sunset tonight.

“In Hebrew, the word for God in energy,” Rubenstein said. “And Hanukkah is a celebration of light — we are trying to do something to make Judaism meaningful for today.”

Temple Isaiah has invited an official from Guinness World Records, based in Ireland, to observe the event. The latke preparations also will be videotaped to document the attempt to set a new world record.

Temple Isaiah’s Hanukkah celebration has special meaning this year, because primary organizer of the event unexpectedly died last week when a train struck her car in Anaheim.

Linda Small, 68, a Lake Forest resident, died Dec. 15 after the car she was driving apparently got stuck on the railroad tracks.

“It was a freak accident. We just don’t really know what happened,” Rubenstein said.

The Solarbration event at Temple Isaiah this year is being dedicated in Small’s honor.

“I think she would have wanted the celebration to go on,” Rubenstein said. “The Maccabees lost three sons in the Maccabean war, but they had to go on and be strong.”

Small was an active member of Temple Isaiah who lead the congregation’s sisterhood, Rubenstein said.

“Linda was really someone who was important to the congregation,” said Carolyn Price, Rubenstein’s assistant. “They lost one of their leaders.”

Price was asked at the last minute to take over organizing the event after Small’s death.

In the past week, she’s found a caterer in Los Angeles with a large, portable, solar oven to cook the giant latke. The oven is mounted on the back of the trailer.

“Nobody thought you could ever do this because latkes are fried, but I found this woman with this giant solar oven and she jumped right on the band wagon,” Price said. “It’s very lucky for all of us.”

The event, 1 p.m. to 6 p.m. at Temple Isaiah, 2401 Irvine Ave., also will feature potato peeling and dreidel spinning contest, arts and crafts vendors, a kosher pickle-making demonstration and Israeli dancing. The Solarbration will end with the lighting of the first Hanukkah candle.

BRIANNA BAILEY may be reached at (714) 966-4625 or at brianna.bailey@latimes.com.