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    Chanukah

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    Prosserman JCC
    Chanukah is an eight-day Jewish holiday that commemorates the rededication of the Second Temple in Jerusalem during the second century BCE. It celebrates the Maccabees' victory over oppressive rulers and the miracle of a small amount of oil lasting eight days. On each night of Chanukah, a candle is lit on the menorah, starting with one on the first night and adding one each subsequent night. Traditional foods eaten are latkes, jelly donuts, and cheese to commemorate different aspects of the story. The holiday falls in November or December each year on the 25th day of the Hebrew month of Kislev.

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    Chanukah

    Uploaded by

    Prosserman JCC
    195 views1 page
    Chanukah is an eight-day Jewish holiday that commemorates the rededication of the Second Temple in Jerusalem during the second century BCE. It celebrates the Maccabees' victory over oppressive rulers and the miracle of a small amount of oil lasting eight days. On each night of Chanukah, a candle is lit on the menorah, starting with one on the first night and adding one each subsequent night. Traditional foods eaten are latkes, jelly donuts, and cheese to commemorate different aspects of the story. The holiday falls in November or December each year on the 25th day of the Hebrew month of Kislev.

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    Chanukah is an eight-day Jewish holiday that commemorates the rededication of the Second Temple in Jerusalem during the second century BCE. It celebrates the Maccabees' victory over oppressive rulers and the miracle of a small amount of oil lasting eight days. On each night of Chanukah, a candle is lit on the menorah, starting with one on the first night and adding one each subsequent night. Traditional foods eaten are latkes, jelly donuts, and cheese to commemorate different aspects of the story. The holiday falls in November or December each year on the 25th day of the Hebrew month of Kislev.

    Copyright:

    Attribution Non-Commercial (BY-NC)
    Download as PDF, TXT or read online from Scribd
    Download as pdf or txt
    195 views1 page

    Chanukah

    Uploaded by

    Prosserman JCC
    Chanukah is an eight-day Jewish holiday that commemorates the rededication of the Second Temple in Jerusalem during the second century BCE. It celebrates the Maccabees' victory over oppressive rulers and the miracle of a small amount of oil lasting eight days. On each night of Chanukah, a candle is lit on the menorah, starting with one on the first night and adding one each subsequent night. Traditional foods eaten are latkes, jelly donuts, and cheese to commemorate different aspects of the story. The holiday falls in November or December each year on the 25th day of the Hebrew month of Kislev.

    Copyright:

    Attribution Non-Commercial (BY-NC)
    Download as PDF, TXT or read online from Scribd
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    of 1

    Chanukah WHAT DO WE DO?

    WHAT IS IT?
    Chanukah is a home-based celebration. A special eight-
    The annual eight-day “festival of lights” Chanukah=dedica-
    branched menorah, called a Chanukiah, which has an additional
    tion Pronounced in Hebrew “Chah-noo-kah” with the accent
    central or taller ninth candle called the shamash (“helper”) is lit
    on “cha”; in popular parlance as “Hah-nahkah”.(Remember
    each evening at sunset. (On Shabbat the Chanukiah is lit BE-
    the “ch” sound is guttural and not ch as in chair.) This holi-
    FORE the Shabbat candles.) The shamash is used to light the
    day seems to be spelled a million ways! You’ll see Chanukah
    other candles.You light the newest candle first, i.e. light from
    or Hanukah or Hanukkah or Chanukkah...
    the left of the Chanukiah, adding one new candle each night.
    (The blessings and choreography appear on the other side of
    WHY IS IT?
    this sheet.) It is traditional to put the Chanukiah in your window
    Chanukah commemorates the victory of the Maccabees
    facing the street in order to “publicize the miracle.” Some
    over the oppressive rule of Antiochus and the Syrio-Greeks
    families light one Chanukiah for each person, and some use
    who had conquered Israel in the 2nd century BCE.
    olive oil and wicks as well as candles to remind them of the
    Antiochus had outlawed the main precepts of Judaism and
    miracle of the oil. Children play the game of dreidel which is a
    had decreed that idolatrous practices be instituted at the
    spinning top, and gifts can be exchanged. Chanukah is often
    Temple, defiling the altar. Led by Judah, the small Maccabee
    put together with the winter festivals of other religions but it
    army won, and they rededicated the altar. The Talmud
    has nothing to do either religiously or historically with them,
    relates that when they came to light the Temple candelabra
    except that it falls at that time of year. It’s important to remem-
    (Menorah) there was only enough oil for one day, but it
    ber Chanukah has its roots in a revolution against assimilation!
    miraculously lasted for eight days until more could be
    secured. An eight day festival of lights was instituted to
    remember not only this military victory, but the spiritual
    WHAT DO WE EAT?
    Latkes (potato pancakes fried in oil) with applesauce and/or
    lesson of keeping Judaism alive even in dark times, fighting
    sour cream; today there are many modern versions of latkes
    the denial of our unique tradition, and keeping faith that
    made of everything from zucchini to rice! The point is to eat
    miracles can happen!
    something fried in oil to remember the miracle of the oil. In
    Israel the tradition is to eat jelly donuts (sufganiot.) There is
    WHEN IS IT?
    also a tradition of eating cheese because of the story of Judith,
    The 25th of the Hebrew month Kislev, which usually falls
    a pious woman who was able to trick the general Holofernes by
    somewhere between November and December.
    feeding him cheese, making him thirsty so he drank wine and
    fell asleep, and then killing him, bringing inspiration to the
    WHERE IS IT FROM?
    beleaguered Jews.
    The festival of Chanukah actually does not appear in the
    Torah. It is based on both the Book of Maccabees (found in
    the Apocrypha) and the Talmud.
    WHAT DO WE SAY?
    Since Chanukah is not actually a “chag” (Torahordained holiday
    in which we do no work) we generally do not say “chag
    sameach” as in other holidays like Sukkot or Pesach. Instead we
    add the word “urim” (lights) and say “Chag Urim Sameach”. In
    English is is appropriate to just say “Happy Chanukah.”
    T

    To help enrich your appreciation of the upcoming holiday, Kolel is happy to provide this “fact sheet”.
    POWERED BY
    UJA federation We hope it helps you prepare both spiritually and physically. Please feel free to study with us any time!
    For a full listing of courses and programs, visit www.kolel.org or call 416.638.1881 x.4255

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