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Sufganiyot cause multiple Hanukkah choking incidents in Israel

Two men, one in Netanya and another in Ofakim, choked on the iconic jelly doughnuts that are consumed during the eight-day holiday.

A sufganiya in front of a United Hatzalah ambulance. Credit: United Hatzalah ambulance.
A sufganiya in front of a United Hatzalah ambulance. Credit: United Hatzalah ambulance.

One of the iconic treats of Hanukkah is causing trouble in Israel for the holiday this year, as there have been two incidents involving people choking on sufganiyot (jelly doughnuts) within the past day, United Hatzalah said on Monday.

Two men, one in Netanya and another in Ofakim, choked on the doughnuts). In the Ofakim incident, a man in his mid-60s suddenly began to choke when he was eating a sufganiya at home, prompting concerned family members to call emergency services for help. “According to the man’s family, he choked while eating the sufganiya,” stated United Hatzalah volunteer EMT Motti Elbaz, deputy head of the Ofakim chapter of the organization and one of the first responders at the scene. “Together with other first responders who arrived I performed CPR on the man in an effort to save his life. During one of the rounds of compressions, the piece of sufganiya was dislodged from his windpipe. Miraculously, the man’s pulse came back and he was transported to Soroka hospital sedated and ventilated in serious but stable condition.”

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