Hanukkah begins Sunday night, but the new café at the Jewish Museum of Florida is jump-starting the Festival of Lights. Thursday through Dec. 29, visitors can order potato latkes and jelly-filled doughnuts. The two deep-fried foods are a must for a holiday the celebrates the miracle of the oil.

The spirit and purpose of Hanukkah are summed up in its name, which means "dedication" in Hebrew. It commemorates the victory of an underdog Jewish army over mighty Greek-Syrian forces in 165 B.C.

When the victorious Maccabees liberated Jerusalem and reentered the Temple, they found it had been desecrated, including the olive oil used to fuel the eternal flame of the menorah (seven-branched candelabra). They found one small jar of pure oil that miraculously kept the menorah lit for eight days, enough time to prepared a fresh batch of pure oil.

It's not exactly miraculous but definitely fortuitous that hungry visitors to the Jewish Museum of Florida can grab a nosh after contemplating the collection. The narrow space between the two oldest synagogues on Miami Beach was recently transformed into Bessies Bistro.

The cafe is named for Bess Myerson, Miss America 1945, the only Jewish beauty queen to win the pageant. Myerson went on to work for civil rights, having faced discrimination during and after the contest.

Her parents lived in the neighborhood around the museum in the 1970s, and to honor their memory Myerson donated most of the funds to build the sleek, skylighted structure that links the two buildings. She also donated her memorabilia to the museum, where old black-and-white photos of her grace the walls.

The casual, self-serve café offers pastries, wraps, salads and sandwiches. There are also ba-tampte ("tasty" in Yiddish) treats such as stuffed cabbage, knishes, and matzoh ball and cabbage soups. (Soups are hot; ask the bistro manager to zap the other dishes for you in a microwave.)

Try the smoked Norwegian salmon, cream cheese and chive wrap, or egg salad on multigrain. Heartier appetites can be satisfied with roast beef on a kaiser roll. There are also coffee drinks and bottled Israeli fruit juices.

The food is supplied by Miami Beach's Emerald Catering and is strictly kosher. Museum members can drop in anytime; others have to pay the museum entrance fee first. It is well worth a visit to soak up the Mosaic exhibit that traveled around Florida and was the vision of Marcia Jo Zerivitz, the founding executive director and chief curator of the museum.