Hanukkah, the Festival of Lights, is among the most recognized
of Jewish holidays by American society, counted frequently as
”
the Jewish Christmas.
”
But the eight-day celebration that begins at sundown on Tuesday,
Dec. 7 is actually a minor holiday for Jews around the world.
Hanukkah, the Festival of Lights, is among the most recognized of Jewish holidays by American society, counted frequently as “the Jewish Christmas.”
But the eight-day celebration that begins at sundown on Tuesday, Dec. 7 is actually a minor holiday for Jews around the world.
“It’s nice to be recognized in the community, but factually, Hanukkah just commemorates a medium-sized military victory,” said Rabbi Yitzhak Miller of Congregation Emeth in Gilroy.
The holiday commemorates the victory of Judah the Maccabee and his band of outnumbered, out-armed rebels over they Syrian ruler Antiochus IV in 164 B.C.
The Jewish fighters managed to regain their holy temple, purging it of the Greek gods placed inside.
In order to cleanse the space, it is said a lamp was lit.
There was only enough oil for the lamp to burn one day, but it miraculously burned for eight.
Thus, the Festival of Lights commemorates this act with the lighting of the menorah for eight nights and the consumption of fried foods like latkes (potato pancakes) and jelly doughnuts.
Children also play the game of dradel, a gambling game that uses a four-sided top in play.
The four letters each side of the top, which act like the sides of a die, are lettered in script that stands for “great miracle happened here.”
“The one thing that is a mitzvah, or a sacred obligation, is to display the light of a menorah,” said Rabbi Miller. “The sacred obligation is not just to light the menorah, but to show its light to the rest of the world. Everything else would be in the category of tradition.”
Hanukkah’s proximity to the Christian holiday of Christmas, widely celebrated as more of a national holiday or time for gift-giving than a spiritual time, has elevated its importance in American culture.
“Hanukkah is a very home-centered, religious holiday,” said Merrin Davidson, a member of Congregation Emeth and the mother of two elementary school-aged children. “In other parts of the world, Christmas is very much a home-centered, religious holiday, so the importance of Hanukkah is very much an American reflection of the way America celebrates.”
Davidson, a stay-at-home mom, volunteers to teach children at Rucker Elementary School about Hanukkah in order to help educate them on Judaism, offering teachers the opportunity to have her speak in the classroom.
“I cover the historic background and touch a little bit on holidays that different religions have around this time of year, which is the darkest time of year,” said Davidson.
The rampant commercialization of Hanukkah has felt a bit of backlash, as American Jews have begun to explore the holiday’s spiritual meaning, the philosophy of which dates back to the Hassidic tradition started in the late 1700s.
“People talk about how small a Hanukkah candle is, and yet in the darkest of times a small light can shine so brightly,” said Rabbi Miller. The holiday falls not only during the darkest time of the year, but also right in the middle of the longest stretch between major Jewish Holidays. “If they’re in a dark time or dark situation, it’s an excellent metaphor.”
For more information on Hanukkah’s significance, visit www.MyJewishLearning.com.
