I i fe
HOLIDAY
Rededication
Chanukah
marks the
restoration
of the Temple
to our people.
C
hanukah, or the Festival
of Rededication, cel-
ebrates the rededication
of the Temple in Jerusalem after its
defilement by the Syrian Greeks in
164 B.C.E.
Although it is a late addition to
the Jewish liturgical calendar, the
eight-day festival of Chanukah
has become a beloved and joyous
holiday. It is also known as the
Festival of Lights and takes place in
December, at the time of year when
the days are shortest in the north-
ern hemisphere.
Beginnings: Chanukah begins
this year at sundown on Friday,
Dec. 15, the 24th of Kislev 5767.
History: Beginning in 167
B.C.E., the Jews of Judea rose up
in revolt against the oppression of
King Antiochus IV Epiphanes of
the Seleucid Empire. The military
leader of the first phase of the
revolt was Judah the Maccabee, the
eldest son of the priest Mattityahu
(Mattathias).
In the autumn of 164, Judah
and his followers were able to
capture the Temple in Jerusalem,
which had been turned into a
pagan shrine. They cleansed it
and rededicated it to God. This
event was observed in an eight-day
celebration, which was patterned
on Sukkot, the autumn festival of
booths. Much later rabbinic tradi-
tion ascribes the length of the festi-
val to a miraculous cruse of oil that
burned for eight days.
At Home: Much of the activity
of Chanukah takes place at home.
Central to the holiday is the light-
ing of the chanukiah, an eight-
branched candelabrum to which
one candle is added on each day
The Chanukiah
chanukiah - the term for the
Modern name
for an ancient
symbol.
Joyce Eisenberg and
Ellen Scolnic
Jewish Telegraphic Agency
Philadelphia
ust as not every pan-
cake is a latke, not
every menorah is a
chanukiah.
While Chanukah commemo-
rates the Maccabees' victory
over the Syrians more than
2,100 years ago, the word
menorah, the singular symbol
of the holiday - was coined just
about 100 years ago by Eliezer
Ben-Yehuda, the Hebrew writer
and lexicographer responsible
for the revival of Hebrew as a
modern spoken language.
Israelis call this candelabra
a "chanukiah," but most Jews
around the world say "meno-
rah" or "Chanukah menorah."
Menorah is a broader
term that describes both the
Chanukah menorah and the
ritual candelabra that has been
a symbol of Judaism for thou-
sands of years.
The seven-branched menorah
appears in front of the Knesset
building in Jerusalem, as well
it has become one of the most
beloved of Jewish holidays.
In an act of defiance against
those in the past and in the present
who would root out Jewish prac-
tice, the observance of Chanukah
has assumed a visible community
aspect. Jews will often gather for
communal celebrations and public
candle lighting. At such celebra-
tions, Chanukah songs are sung
and traditional games such as
dreidel are played.
Theology and Themes: Like
Pesach (Passover), Chanukah is a
holiday that celebrates the libera-
tion from oppression. It also pro-
vides a strong argument in favor of
freedom of worship and religion.
In spite of the human action that
is commemorated, never far from
the surface is the theology that the
liberation was possible only thanks
to the miraculous support of the
Divine.
erick columnist, Martha Jo
myjewishlearning.com
sary of her death.
as on modern Israeli coins and
synagogue furnishings. Flanked
by two olive branches, the sym-
bol is also part of the national
emblem of the State of Israel.
The chanukiah features
nine candleholders - for eight
Chanukah candles and the
shamash, the candle used to
light the others. It celebrates
the story, first mentioned in
the Talmud, of the Maccabees
entering the Temple in
Jerusalem to rededicate it,
finding enough pure oil to
kindle the menorah for one day,
but the oil burning miraculously
for eight days.
Rabbis later decreed that
Chanukah would be observed
annually for eight days begin-
ning on the 25th of Kislev. The
holiday became known as "The
Festival of Lights."
Why is there a ninth candle?
Haiachah (Jewish law)
demands Chanukah candles be
lit for the purpose of pirsumay
nisa, publicizing the miracle of
Chanukah. Using the lights for
a practical reason - to read by,
for example - would be disre-
spectful. But if Jews could not
use the Chanukah candles for
light, some other source was
needed to kindle them. Thus
the shamash provides the light
for other activities, including
kindling the other candles.
In keeping with the command
of pirsumay nisa, a lighted cha-
nukiah is traditionally placed
in the window of one's home.
In Israel, some houses are built
with a small indentation near
the front door, which may be
covered with glass, specifically
to display chanukiyot.
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I was eating my latkes
and playing my draydl
When, behold, I discov-
ered aza shaine maidl.*
Dos is geven a graiser
ness**
Straight from mein
hartz,*** I do confess,
When I spotted mein
tayere shainike**** Shaindl.
— Rachel Kapen, West Bloomfield
* aza shaine maid) - such a
beautiful girl
** Dos is geven a graiser
ness - It was a great mir-
acle
*** mein hartz - my heart
**** mein tayere shainike
- my dear beautiful
In memory of the late JN lim-
Fleischmann on the first anniver-
Talmudic times featured
a debate over the lighting
of Chanukah candles. Rabbi
Shammai said all eight candles
should be lit the first night,
with a decreasing number each
subsequent night. Rabbi Hillel
believed the opposite.
Hillel's instructions on kin-
dling the candles have been
interpreted to mean that by
increasing the number of can-
dles, and by increasing the light
each night, one increases the
holiness in the world. Of course,
his teaching prevailed.
Add candles from right to left
- like Hebrew writing. But light
them from left to right so the
newest one is lit first.
Joyce Eisenberg and Ellen Scolnic
are co-authors of "The Dictionary of
Jewish Words."
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of the holiday until it is completely
ablaze with light on the eighth day.
(The chanukiah is also referred to
— erroneously — as a Chanukah
menorah, but a true menorah has a
total of only seven branches).
In commemoration of the leg-
endary cruse of oil, it is traditional
to eat foods fried in oil. The most
familiar Chanukah foods are the
European (Ashkenazi) potato
pancakes, or latkes, and the Israeli
favorite, jelly donuts, or sufganiyot.
The tradition developed in
Europe to give small amounts of
money as well as nuts and raisins
to children at this time. Under
the influence of Christmas, which
takes place around the same time
of year, Chanukah has evolved into
the central gift-giving holiday in
the Jewish calendar in the Western
world.
In the Community: Since
Chanukah is not biblically
ordained, the liturgy for the holiday
is not well developed. It is actually
a quite minor festival. However,
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December 14 2006
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