Hanukkah (Chanukah), the Festival of Lights, begins Wednesday evening, December 25, 2024. It celebrates the Jewish victory over the Syrian-Greek regime of Antiochus. The Greeks attempted to Hellenize the Jews and abolish many Jewish practices and many Jews willingly complied. But a small band of the devout, led by Matitiyahu the Priest and his son Judah Maccabee, led a successful rebellion against them. When they recaptured the Temple and relit the Menorah, a vial of pure oil sufficient to burn one day burned for eight days straight – the eight days of Hanukkah. We light the menorah for the eight days of Hanukkah to commemorate the miracle. A menorah is lit in every household, and also in the synagogue. Special blessings are recited when we light the menorah. We also spin the dreidel (sivivon in Hebrew), a four-sided top with a Hebrew letter on each side. We play the dreidel game, which has deeper meaning and invites "inspiration from above.” On Hanukkah, we commemorate the miracle of the oil by eating foods cooked with olive oil. Enjoy these fried potato pancake (latke) recipes. For the Israeli version of "oily food," use this how-to guide for great homemade doughnuts, sufganiyot.
 

Twas the Night before Chanukah

 

Miracles

Do we notice the beauty and wonder of the world around us? A message for Chanukah.

 

This is Your Light

Examining the Jewish contribution to Western civilization. With a Chanukah tie-in.

 

Lighting Our World

This Chanukah, light the flame of hope.

The Nature of Nature

What's the difference between nature and the miraculous?

Chanukah in the Soviet Gulag

When the enemy answered "amen."

Sara Yoheved Rigler

The Chanukah Question

Is it a Jewish value to yield or to resist?

Chanukah: Quick and Kosher

Recipes from the bride who knew nothing.

Dr. Mitzvah - Chanukah

Dr. Mitzvah delivers some light.

Taking Up Arms

What you and I today would have written off as an act of insanity, was in fact one of the greatest deeds in Jewish history.

Chanukah in Iowa

I was the only Jewish child in the auditorium, and sometimes felt I was the only Jewish girl in the entire world.

A Chanukah Carol

In one moment of silence, my Jewish identity was born.

Give It All You've Got

The Maccabees taught us that immobilizing perfectionism leaves no room for God.

The Non-Jewish World of Disney

A Jewish princess does not wait for her prince.

Eight Great Chanukah Gifts for Kids

Being a role model for Jewish values is truly the gift of a lifetime.

Chanukah: The Prequel

The astonishing connection between Alexander the Great and the Jewish high priest.

Spinning the Dreidel

The discrepancy in how the Hanukkah dreidel and Purim gragger are spun reflect a profound lesson in the nature of the two holidays.

The Ninth Candle

Why can't benefit be derived from the light of the menorah?

A Jewish Child on Christmas

My parents succeeded in creating a wonderful Christmas - yet inside me something was amiss.

Light in the Strangest of Places

At a Grateful Dead concert one Chanukah, I felt like the only Jew in the world. Then an amazing thing happened.

My Last Line of Defense

How Chanukah kept me Jewish when all else failed.

Hippie Chanukah

Amidst the pre-Xmas frenzy, a group of idealistic college students unexpectedly discover Chanukah's quiet illumination.

Natural is Supernatural, Naturally

Miracles don't happen anymore, do they?

Rekindling the Sparks of Peace

The heart of fire contains the unifying power of peace.

Chanukah Family Parsha: The Package Deal

Physical beauty and power is best used to express higher values.

Soulless

The Greeks thought that physicality was a primary goal of man.

Reality and Potential

Shoot for the stars or be more realistic? Two perspectives reflected in the Chanukah light.

Chanukah Lights Dancing

Chanukah's tiny lights brazenly face the night's bitter challenge, transforming fear into a soft caress of hope.

Alexander and the Jews

The pivotal scene that you won't see in any movie sets the stage for the story of Chanukah.

Chanukah Lights and Wrights

The menorah's flames remind us that technology is but a gift from God.

The Winning Spirit

Tapping into the spiritual energy of Chanukah.

A Great Miracle Happened

As a Jew, I was always a little different. That would become my greatest asset.

Lively Overview of Chanukah

Insights from the Midrash and contemporary sages.

Chanukah in Baghdad

An American Jewish soldier of Iraqi descent lights the Menorah in Saddam Hussein's palace.

Sara Yoheved Rigler

The Capture of Saddam: A Chanukah Meditation

Some surprising lessons are unearthed with Saddam Hussein.

Is Hanukkah the Jewish Christmas?

A pictorial cartoon explanation of Chanukah, for the uninitiated.

Chanukah: To Conceal and Reveal

Nurturing the subtle, contradictory strivings for intimacy.

Hanukkah: Lighting on Erev Shabbos

Navigating the delicate moments on Friday afternoon of Chanukah.

Laws of Lighting the Hanukkah Menorah Away from Home

In-depth laws of the menorah for travelers and guests.

Menorah, Oil and Wicks

In-depth laws of how to perform the Chanukah mitzvah properly.

Where to Light the Hanukkah Menorah

The proper placement of the menorah, for a variety of situations.

Chanukah: Seeing in the Darkness

Chanukah and the murder of my son taught me a new way of seeing.

Out of the Closet

My mother, a Holocaust survivor, always said, "You can be a Jew on the inside, but not on the outside." It was just too risky.

Family Parsha_

We all love beauty. But what makes something or someone beautiful?

Winning the Game

To win, you don't have to be physically stronger or more skilled than your opponent. Where it counts is in the heart.

One Miracle? No, Two!

Dizzy the Dreidel Top has come to take you for a ride back in time.

A Serious Game

A story that takes place in one of the caves where Jewish children would meet their rabbi every day to learn and study in secret.

Chanukah Family Guide

When does the family join together to light the Chanukah menorah? How do we light? What time do we light?...and a special Chanukah story.

Chanukah Recipes

Delicious latkes and doughnuts to enhance your Chanukah table.

How to Plan a Great Hanukkah Party

Everything you need for a great Chanukah Party!

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