• In contravention of its own ten-month settlement freeze, Israel approved the construction of several dozen buildings in the West Bank. [Haaretz]
• A history of chocolate Hanukkah gelt, followed by a recipe! [Forward]
• David Beckham’s Jewish maternal grandfather, who was also his “footballing inspiration,” died. No word on whether the soccer megastar will sit shiva. [The Jewish Community Online]
• Acclaimed critic and novelist Cynthia Ozick announced that her new novel, Foreign Bodies, will be published late next year. [ArtsBeat]
• Following controversial firings at three Boston-area hotels, the Jewish Labor Committee has called for a boycott of Hyatt. [JTA]
Marc Tracy is a staff writer at The New Republic, and was previously a staff writer at Tablet. He tweets @marcatracy.