Hanukkah
Hanukkah started yesterday and runs for 8 days…(Until December 6th this year).
What is Hanukkah?
Hanukkah is a Jewish holiday which celebrates the victory of the Maccabees over the larger Syrian army. ( it is NOT the “Jewish Christmas “ ha ha).
It also celebrates a miracle that happened during this time, where just a day's supply of oil allowed the menorah in the rededicated temple in Jerusalem to remain lit for eight days. Therefore, Jewish people celebrate Hanukkah for eight days.
The Hebrew word hanukkah means rededication.
I remember when I was having my first hip replacement I met a wonderful woman named Gloria. We were both in the same recovery room and man, she was so loud……always complaining and groaning these loud moans.
So one day, for a joke, I told her to “Keep it DOWN over there!” We both started laughing as we both had the same operation and I was pretty quiet. That became the start of an unusual friendship. You see, Gloria was Jewish and I am a Catholic. We both love God and we both came to love each other. Her family couldn’t believe how much fun these two unlikely friends would have together and I feel blessed to have known her for a time.
Eventually, when we both learned how to walk again, Gloria invited me to her synagogue where her son, a Rabbi, was leading the service. It was fascinating and although it never worked out for Gloria come to my church, we developed a nice friendship over the years until , unfortunately, she got cancer and soon after died. We did have many discussions about our faith lives before her death and we both respected each other’s beliefs and customs.
She told me that the menorah symbolized the ideal of universal enlightenment. and that it also symbolized the creation in seven days, with the centre light representing the Sabbath.
Since biblical times, the seven-branched menorah has symbolized Judaism. It first appears in Exodus, as a lighting fixture within the Tabernacle, a sort of portable temple used by the Israelites during their desert wanderings. The menorah is described in Exodus in minute detail, based on a heavenly prototype.
At Hanukkah, however, the menorah has nine candlesticks — one for each night of Hanukkah and an extra one to light the others.
Have you ever heard of a ‘dreidel’?
As part of the celebrations, children and adults play a special game, which involves a spinning top called a dreidel. A dreidel is a cube-shaped dice with a Hebrew letter on each of the four sides.
Fun fact : So where did the Dreidel come into play? Apparently it was used a disguise. When Greek soldiers would make a surprise raid on students studying the Torah, which was forbidden by the pain of death, Dreidels would come out with the students pretending they were gambling.
Children Playing with Dreidel on Hanukkah at DP Camp, Germany 1945/46. Photo: Zvi Kadushin (Beth Hatefutsoth Photo Archive, Zvi Kadushin collection)
Hanukkah is not a "Sabbath-like" holiday, and there is no obligation to refrain from activities that are forbidden on the Sabbath, as specified in the Shulkhan Arukh. Adherents go to work as usual but may leave early in order to be home to kindle the lights at nightfall. There is no religious reason for schools to be closed, although in Israel schools close from the second day for the whole week of Hanukkah. Many families exchange gifts each night, such as books or games, and "Hanukkah Gelt" is often given to children. Fried foods (such as latkes (potato pancakes), jelly doughnuts (sufganiyot), and Sephardic bimuelos) are eaten to commemorate the importance of oil during the celebration of Hanukkah. ( Kiddle)
Happy Hanukkah to all of our Jewish friends as you celebrate “The Festival of Lights”.