Posts Tagged: meaning of Hanukkah
Remembering Hanukkah 1917 and the Liberation of Jerusalem
On December 9, 1917, British forces accepted the Turkish surrender of Jerusalem. Two days later, British forces officially entered the walls of the city. As the...
A Hanukkah Guide for the Perplexed
Historical context. Hanukkah, the holiday of light, is narrated in the four Books of the Maccabees, The Scroll of Antiochus, and The Wars of the...
The Myths of Hanukkah
There are several myths about Hanukkah, such as that Judah Maccabee defeated the Seleucid Emperor Antiochus decisively and regained independence for the Judean state. Or...
The Miracle of Hanukkah Will Go On
JNS.org - Jewish individuals and families around the world will light the first Hanukkah candle after sundown on December 10, marking the beginning of the...
Lighting Up the World With Hope During Hanukkah
JNS.org - Just saying the word “Hanukkah” brings smiles, as does conjuring up the sight of candles ablaze and hearing the sounds of boisterously off-key...
A Hanukkah Guide for the Perplexed, 2017
1. Here is Hanukkah’s historical context according to the Books of the Maccabees, The Scroll of Antiochus and The War of the Jews by Joseph Ben Mattityahu (Josephus Plavius): In 175 BCE, the...
Reflections on Hanukkah and Miracles
Why do miracles happen sometimes and not others? Is it because we deserve them? Many rabbis like to claim that when bad things happen, it is...
A Hanukkah Guide for the Perplexed, 2016
1. Hanukkah and Jewish immortality. In 1899, Mark Twain wrote: “Jews constitute but one percent of the human race…, [but] their contributions to literature, science, art, music,...
Hanukkah and Divine Emanations
History -- the study of cause and effect in the annals of humankind -- has been a serious challenge for honest historians. In many ways, interpreting history is conjecture....
Hanukkah Guide for the Perplexed, 2015
1. Hanukkah’s historical context, according to the Books of the Maccabees, The Scroll of Antiochus and The War of the Jews by Joseph Ben Mattityahu (Josephus Plavius) is as...
On Hanukkah, We Celebrate Those Who Gave Their Lives for Judaism
Hanukkah is a time to reflect upon the many ways that the Festival of Lights has impacted Jewry throughout history. In the era following the conquest of the...
