Two of our family’s menorahs that we light every year. (l-r) A wedding gift 54 years ago and my husband, Mel’s, mother’s music box menorah which is about 70 years old.
By Beth Chafetz with information from Reform Judaism.org
Although Hanukkah (also known as The Festival of Lights) is considered a “minor” Jewish festival by many Jews, along with Passover and Purim, it’s one of the most recognized Jewish holidays, one full of light and family celebration. As a candle is added on each of the eight nights of Hanukkah, it brings both actual and symbolic light, reminding Jews to rededicate themselves to keeping alive the flame of Jewish religion and culture. The emphasis on the commitment to tikkun olam (the idea of doing our part in repairing the world) has also become a meaningful part of the holiday.
“Meaning “dedication” in Hebrew, Hanukkah (also spelled Chanukah) commemorates the victory of the Maccabees over the Syrian army in 165 B.C.E. and the liberation and “rededication” of the Temple in Jerusalem.” Hanukkah reminds us of Jewish bravery against overwhelming odds and the fight for Jewish self-determination.
“According to the legend, when the Maccabees entered the Temple and began to reclaim it from the Greeks, they immediately relit the ner tamid (the Eternal Light), which burned constantly. In the Temple, they found a single jar of oil, which was sufficient for only one day. The messenger sent to secure additional oil took eight days to complete his mission, and miraculously, the single jar of oil continued to burn until his return. The rabbis of the Talmud attributed the eight days of Hanukkah to the miracle of this single jar of oil.”
“The lighting of the menorah (also called a hanukkiyah) was common throughout much of the 19th century. By the 1920s, however, Jews increasingly added gift-giving to their Hanukkah celebrations, prompting some people to refer to Hanukkah as the “Jewish Christmas.”
“Although Hanukkah has become an important holiday among North American Jews, it would be incorrect to regard it as an imitation of Christmas with an emphasis on the exchange of presents. Rather, North American Jews use this holiday as a celebration of family, reinforcing Jewish identity in a place whose population may be overwhelmingly Christian. Hanukkah is a means for North American Jews to feel a kinship with their neighbors while simultaneously remembering their Jewish distinctiveness.”
Today, celebrations of Hanukkah center on lighting the Hanukkah menorah; singing and playing dreidel (a bit of a gambling game which we play with M&Ms), and enjoying oil-fried foods including latkes (fried potato pancakes), sufganiyot (jelly donuts) and bimuelos (fried dough puffs) and sharing as much of this as possible with family and friends. Hanukkah runs this year from December 14 (starting after sundown) until the evening of December 22. Chag sameach – Happy Holiday!