The Wizard of Oz and the Jews
8 min read
An easy way to share the Hanukkah story and its relevant lessons with your family and friends during the eight nights of the Festival of Lights.
Over 2,000 years ago, around 200 BCE, the Land of Israel was part of the Syrian-Greek Empire (known as the Seleucid Empire). In the middle of his reign, the Seleucid king, King Antiochus III, began imposing heavy taxes on the Jewish People. His successor intensified the oppression, determined to unify his empire by enforcing Greek customs. He began imposing severe restrictions on Jewish practices, and while some Jews tried to resist the pressure, others willingly joined the Hellenistic movement.
Lesson: Tonight, as you light one, lone candle, notice how even the darkest room is transformed by one small flame. Don’t underestimate the power of a seemingly small act of good to influence on the world.
As Hellenistic (or Greek) influences grew, the Jewish people faced increasing pressure to adopt Greek customs and abandon their own faith. Antiochus forbade key Jewish practices such as Sabbath observance, kosher laws, and circumcision. Jewish books of law were burned, and those who disobeyed were murdered. The Jews were left in a crisis of faith and survival, with Antiochus's enforcers relentlessly attempting to uproot their traditions.
Lesson: Each night of Hanukkah, you light one more additional candle, echoing a fundamental Jewish insight that you should always strive to move upwards, taking small, consistent steps towards bettering yourself.
In the village of Modiin (located in modern-day central Israel), Mattathias, a devout Jewish priest, was ordered by Seleucid officers to perform sacrifices to Greek gods. He refused and instead killed a Hellenistic Jew who stepped forward to offer the sacrifice in his place. Mattathias's actions sparked a Jewish revolt. Mattathias, his sons, and a small band of loyal Jews fled to the hills of Judea, conducting guerrilla attacks on Syrian outposts. This resistance rallied more Jews to their side, determined to protect their faith and heritage.
Lesson: Mattathias’ resistance is a reminder to not to be swayed by the opinions of others. While most Jews had resigned themselves to the Hellenization of Israel, Mattathias stood nearly alone in his defiance - and his seemingly futile rebellion ultimately saved the Jewish people. His actions are a powerful reminder to hold fast to your values and don’t let external pressures alter who you are.
Before his death, Mattathias appointed his son Judah to lead the revolt (the rebels were called the "Maccabees," which is a Hebrew acronym for "Who is like You, Oh God"). Judah’s brilliant strategies and unshakable faith led the Maccabees to remarkable victories over larger and better-equipped Syrian forces. Despite repeated Syrian attempts to crush the resistance, the Maccabees prevailed, boosting the morale and faith of the Jewish people in their fight for freedom.
Lesson: The Maccabees’ resistance seemed hopeless to onlookers— they were a handful of rebels trying to defeat a vast, powerful army. Yet against all odds, they triumphed. Their courage and victory remind us that we can’t begin to fathom the power of our actions until we dare to try.
After their victories, the Maccabees returned to Jerusalem and found the Temple, the focal point for prayer and Jewish life, desecrated and filled with pagan idols. They purified and rededicated the Temple, but discovered a shortage of oil available to light the menorah - a unique candelabra which lived in the Temple and burned continuously. They lit the menorah with enough oil to last for one day yet the flames continued to burn for an additional seven days. This blatant, open miracle gave the Maccabees enough time to finish preparing more oil to keep the candles burning.
Lesson: Lighting your own menorah commemorates the miracle of the oil that kept the Temple’s flames burning for eight days. The eternal flames in the Temple symbolized the enduring spirit of the Jewish People; the flames you light today serve as a reminder that, just as the Maccabees’ light shone brightly then, the fire of the Jewish People burns just as brightly today. Hanukkah is a time to reaffirm your pride in your Jewish identity and to renew your commitment to keeping the fire of the Jewish People alive.
Although Jerusalem and the Temple were reclaimed, Judah Maccabee knew the fight wasn’t over. He fortified Jerusalem, understanding that surrounding hostile nations and even Hellenistic Jews (Jews aligned with the Greeks) remained threats. Antiochus’s forces had allies among neighboring peoples who envied the Jews’ newfound strength. Judah and his brothers continued to defend and secure Jewish territories across Israel, determined to preserve their hard-won freedom.
Lesson: Although Hanukkah is the only holiday rooted in a military campaign, the way you commemorate it is almost entirely spiritual - to observe the holiday, you light a flame and give thanks to God. The lack of a physical side is unusual but fitting. The Maccabees’ battle was, at its core, a fight against the Greeks' worldview that prioritized the physical above all else. The Jews fought to instead preserve a view of the world with God, not man, at its center. The power of the Maccabees lies in centering your life around something greater than yourself.
Judah led campaigns throughout Israel, protecting Jewish communities from hostile neighbors. With each victory, more Jewish settlers returned to rebuild their towns and farms, resuming their lives in peace. Judah’s brothers also aided in securing areas across the region, defeating adversaries and restoring safety to Jewish lands. By the summer, the Jewish people had successfully reclaimed their homeland from those who had sought to erase their identity.
Lesson: Those who sought to destroy the Jews have brought oceans of suffering, yet none has outlasted the Jewish people. The Seleucids, once powerful, are now virtually forgotten. Time and again, the Jewish spirit has proven indomitable, with each generation rising to reclaim its heritage and faith. This serves as a reminder that no matter how great the threat, now, then, or in the future, the resilience of the Jewish People will always overcome.
With their land finally free, the Jewish people celebrated their victory with joy and gratitude, gathering in Jerusalem to give thanks to God. They sang psalms, offered sacrifices, and embraced the return of Jewish life and traditions. Hanukkah became a lasting commemoration of their victory, a symbol of hope, resilience, and the enduring power of faith to overcome even the darkest of times.
By placing the menorah in your window, you declare your pride in your Jewish heritage, as well as the resilience of the Jewish people. Hanukkah is a reminder to stand tall as a Jew, to shine your light outward for all to see, and to embody the spirit of a people who have persevered through every challenge with unyielding faith, commitment, and resolve.
בָּרוּךְ אַתָּה אֲדֹנָי אֱלֹהֵינוּ מֶלֶךְ הָעוֹלָם אֲשֶׁר קִדְּשָׁנוּ בְּמִצְוֹתָיו וְצִוָּנוּ לְהַדְלִיק נֵר חֲנֻכָּה
Bah-rookh ah-tah ah-doh-noi eh-loh-hay-noo meh-lekh hah-oh-lahm ah-sher ki-deh-shah-noo beh-mitz-voh-tahv veh-tzee-vah-noo leh-hahd-lik nayr kha-noo-kah
You are the Source of Everything, God, King of the universe, Who has sanctified us with His commandments, and commanded us to kindle the Hanukkah light.
בָּרוּךְ אַתָּה אֲדֹנָי אֱלֹהֵינוּ מֶלֶךְ הָעוֹלָם שֶׁעָשָׂה נִסִּים לַאֲבוֹתֵינוּ בַּיָּמִים הָהֵם בִּזְּמַן הַזֶּה
Bah-rookh ah-tah ah-doh-noi eh-loh-hay-noo meh-lekh hah-oh-lahm sheh-ah-sah nee-sim lah-ah-voh-tay-noo bah-yah-mim hah-haym biz-mahn hah-zeh
You are the Source of Everything, God, King of the universe, Who performed miracles for our ancestors in those days, at this time.
First night only: בָּרוּךְ אַתָּה אֲדֹנָי אֱלֹהֵינוּ מֶלֶךְ הָעוֹלָם שֶׁהֶחֱיָנוּ וְקִיְּמָנוּ וְהִגִּיעָנוּ לִזְּמַן הַזֶּה)
Bah-rookh ah-tah ah-doh-noi eh-loh-hay-noo meh-lekh hah-oh-lahm sheh-heh-kheh-yah-noo veh-kee-mah-noo ve-hig-ee-yah-noo liz-mahn hah-zeh
You are the Source of Everything, God, King of the universe, who has granted us life, sustained us, and enabled us to reach this occasion.)
הַנֵּרוֹת הַלָּלוּ אָנוּ מַדְלִיקִין, עַל הַנִּסִּים וְעַל הַנִּפְלָאוֹת וְעַל הַתְּשׁוּעוֹת וְעַל הַמִּלְחָמוֹת, שֶׁעָשִׂיתָ לַאֲבוֹתֵינוּ בַּיָּמִים הָהֵם בַּזְּמַן הַזֶּה, עַל יְדֵי כֹּהֲנֶיךָ הַקְּדוֹשִׁים. וְכָל שְׁמוֹנַת יְמֵי הַחֲנֻכָּה הַנֵּרוֹת הַלָּלוּ קֹדֶשׁ הֵם וְאֵין לָנוּ רְשׁוּת לְהִשְׁתַּמֵּשׁ בָּהֶם, אֶלָּא לִרְאוֹתָם בִּלְבָד, כְּדֵי לְהוֹדוֹת וּלְהַלֵּל לְשִׁמְךָ הַגָּדוֹל עַל נִסֶּיךָ וְעַל נִפְלְאוֹתֶיךָ וְעַל יְשׁוּעָתֶךָ
Ha-nerot ha-lalu anach-nu mad-likin Al ha-nissim vi-al hanif-laot Al ha-tshu-ot vi-al ha-milchamot She-asita la'avo-teinu Ba-yamim ha-heim, ba-zman ha-zeh Al ye-dey kohan-echa haki-doshim.
Vi-chol shmonat ye-mey Chanukah Ha-nerot ha-lalu kodesh heim, Ve-ein lanu reshut li-heesh-tamesh ba-hem Ela leer-otam bilvad Kedai le-hodot u-li-hallel li-shimcha Al ni-secha vi-al niflo-techa vi-al yeshua-techa.
We kindle these lights for the miracles and the wonders, for the redemption and the battles which You performed for our ancestors, in those days, at this season, through Your holy priests. During all eight days of Chanukah these lights are sacred, and we are not permitted to make ordinary use of them, but only to look at them -- in order to express thanks and praise to Your great Name, for your miracles, Your wonders, and Your salvations.
Featured Image by Yoram Raanan. Visit his website at https://www.yoramraanan.com/
Thank you for these messages. Happy Hanukkah.