Afestival is a collective celebration of an achievement in a given community. The Festival of Hanukkah is a Jewish celebration, and it is celebrating the recovery and re-dedication ofthe Jewish Temple in Jerusalem in 165 B.C. Hanukkah is spelled in many different ways in case you want to Google it ; Hanuka, Chanukah, Chanuka, Hanuka, Hanukka and other variations. Hanukkah is celebrated for eight days andnights. It is also called the festival of lights.

It starts on the 25th of the Jewish month of Kislev each year. The actual date differs due to the lunar calendar. It is about 11 days earlier in each successive year. The Jews, Muslims and some Hindu festivals follow the moon for observing their holidays and the date is different every year. This year the festivities will begin on Tuesday, December 16 with the lighting of Menorah and will continue through Wednesday, December 24. This year, I found one of the best pieces written by Rabbi Michael Lerner, who and Imet in Melbourne, Australia and have kept up writing to each other since then.

Rabbi Michael Lerner wrote about Chanukah, describing it as “the holiday celebrating the triumph of hope over fear, light over darkness, and the powerless overthe powerful.” He went on to say that Chanukah is about “understanding that when we connect with the transformative power ofthe universe, the Force of Healing and Transformation,YHVH,we become aware that the powerless can become powerful, that oppression of any sort is in contradiction to the fundamental nature of human beings asloving, kind, generous, free, creative, intelligent, attuned to beauty, caring for and needing each other beings created in theimage of God.When that energy andawareness permeates our consciousness, noruling elite and no system of exploitation canpossibly last for very long.”

The Hanukkah Story

Here is a story I received in email that tellsthe story and significance of Hanukkah. In 168 B.C.E. the Jewish Temple was seized by Syrian-Greek soldiers and dedicated to the worship ofthe god Zeus. This upset the Jewish people,but many were afraid to fightback for fear ofreprisals. Then in 167 B.C.E.the Syrian- Greek emperor Antiochus madethe observance of Judaism an offense punishable by death. He also ordered all Jewsto worship Greek gods. Jewish resistance began in the village ofModiin, near Jerusalem. Greek soldiers forcibly gathered the Jewish villages and toldthem to bow down to an idol,and then eat the flesh of a pig – both practices that are forbidden to Jews.

A Greek officer ordered Mattthias, a High Priest,to acquiesce to the irdemands, but Mattthias refused. Whenanother villager stepped forward and offeredto cooperate on Matthias’ behalf,the High Priest became outraged. He drew his swordand killed the villager, then turned on the Greek officer and killed him too. His fivesons and the other villagers then attacked the remaining soldiers, killing all of them. Matthias and his family went into hiding in the mountains, where other Jews wishing to fight against the Greeks joined them. Eventually they succeeded in retaking the irland from the Greeks.

These rebels becamek nown as the Maccabees, or Hasmoneans. Once the Maccabees had regained controlthey returned to the Temple in Jerusalem. By this time it had been spiritually defiled bybeing used for the worship offoreign gods and also by practices such as sacrificings wine. Jewish troops were determined to purify the Temple by burning ritual oil in the Temple’s menorah for eight days. But to the irdismay, they discovered that there was onlyone day’s worth of oil left in the Temple. They lit the menorah anyway and to the irsurprise the small amount of oil lasted the full eight days. This is the miracle ofthe Hanukkah oil that is celebrated every year when Jews lighta special menorah known as a hanukkiyah for eight days. One candle is lit on the firstnight of Hanukkah, two on the second, and so on, until eight candles are lit.

Significance of Hanukkah

Muslims, Hindus, Buddhists and othershave figured out a way to keep their childrenin the joyous mood ofreceiving gifts,so theyhave their own version of Christmas. Similarly, Jewish children receive gifts for Hanukkah – often one gift for each of the eight nights ofthe holiday. Many parents hope that by making Hanukkah extra special their children won’t feel left out of all the Christmas festivities going on around them. America is an amazing land!

Hanukkah Traditions

Every community has its unique Hanukkah traditions,but there are some traditions that are almost universally practiced. They are: lighting the hanukkiyah, spinning the dreidel and eating fried foods. Get a Hanukkiah. The most basic thing you need to celebrate Hanukkah is a 9-branched candelabra, called a Hanukkiah (oroften a Menorah, although technicallya Menorah is a 7-branched candelabra), and candles. Eight ofthe branches represent the eight nights, while the last one (at a differen th eight, usually higher than the rest) is called the shamash or helper candle, and is used to light the rest of the candles. The Hanukkiah is usually lighted at or right after sunset.

On the first night,the shamash is lit,ablessing is recited,and the first candle is lit. The first candle occupies the right most place on the Hanukkiah.

Candles are placed from right to left, but lit from left to right. The candle that you light first is always the last candle that you placed on the Hanukkiah; likewise,the candle that you light last is always the first candle that you placed on the Hanukkiah.

On the second night,the shamash plus two candles are lit and so on until the eighth night, when all nine branches contain lit candles.

Traditionally,the lighted Hanukkiah is placed near a window, so that everyone passing by can remember the miracle of Hanukkah. Some families who set the Hanukkiah near the window place the candles left to right, so that they appear right to left to a passer-by.

Recite the blessings when you light the Hanukkiah, or Menora. Blessings are a way of paying respect to God and to Jewish ancestors.

On the first day of Hanukkah, recite the following blessing

Baruch Atah Adonai Eloheinu Melech Ha’olam, asher kidshanu b’mitzvotavv’tzivanu l’hadlik ner shel Hanukkah.

Blessed are You, O Lord Our God, Rulerofthe Universe,Who has sanctified us with Your commandments and commanded us to kindle the lights of Hanukkah.

Baruch Atah Adonai Eloheinu MelechHa’olam, she’asah nisim l’avoteinu,b’yamim haheim bazman hazeh.

Blessed are You, O Lord our God, Ruler ofthe Universe,Who made miracles for our forefathers in those days at this time.

Baruch Atah Adonai Eloheinu MelechHa’olam,shehekheyanu,v’kiyama nuvehegianu lazman hazeh.

Blessed are You, O Lord Our God, Rulerofthe Universe,Who has kept us alive, sustained us and brought us to this season.

On all subsequent nights of Hanukkah,when you light the Hanukkiah, recite the following blessing:

Baruch Atah Adonai Eloheinu MelechHa’olam,asher kidshanu b’mitzvotavv’tzivanu l’hadlik ner shel Hanukkah.

Blessed are You, O Lord Our God, Ruler of the Universe, Who has sanctified us with Your commandments and commanded us to kindle the lights of Hanukkah.

Baruch Atah Adonai Eloheinu MelechHa’olam,she’asah nisim l’avoteinu,b’yamim haheim bazman hazeh.

Blessed are You, O Lord our God, Ruler of the Universe,Who made miracles for our forefathers in those days at this time.

Play dreidel.

A four sided top, called adreidel or sivivon is used to play a gambling game with small candies or nuts. Players getan equal amount ofcandies, and some are placed into a “pot” in the center. Players take turns spinning the dreidel. Each side of the dreidel bears a letter which tells the players whether to put in or take out candies. Thegame ends when someone has all the candies, or when the candies have all been eaten (usually the case in homes with smallchildren!)

Give small tokens to children. Small gifts of money (gelt) are given to children on each night of Hanukkah. Chocolate coins are also popular as treats and gifts during Hanukkah. Consider giving each child a 5 dollar blank check each night to make out to the charity of their choice.

Hanukkah gifts may also be given toadults. Although Hanukkah takes place during the Christian holiday season,it is not the “Jewish Christmas,” as some have mistaken it for

Great Hanukkah gifts for adults include beautiful Hanukkiah candles, nicecooking oil, or a Jewish cook book.

Eat foods cooked in oil. Hanukkah just wouldn’t be the same without the traditional latkes and applesauce. Latkes (pancakes made from shredded potatoes, onions, matzoh meal and salt) are fried in oil to crispy gold brown, then served with applesauce (and often sour cream). The frying oil reminds celebrants of the miracle of the oil. Small powdered sugar donuts, called Sufgeniot are also a popular Hanukkah treat, especially in Israel. Fried, oil-rich foodsare the theme!

Additionally, dairy is consumed by many people during Hanukkah,as a way toremember the story ofJudith. Judith saved her village from a conquering Syrian general by plying him with salty cheese and wine. When he passed out, she took his own sword and be headed him, the story goes.[3] For this reason, cheesy latkes and cheesy blintzes are popular during Hanukkah.

Practice Tikun Olam. Use the holidayas a chance to talk with children about what they believe in, and what it means to stand up for your beliefs. Find causesthat support free speech and religious freedom, and help them to spread those messages centuries after the miracle of Hanukkah. After all, Hanukkah is the story of the Isrealites fighting for religious freedom!

(The author is a speaker,thinker and awriter on pluralism, politics, peace, Islam, Israel, India, interfaith, and cohesion at work place)