Dateline Jerusalem – Wishing my Jewish readers a happy and healthy Chanukah and all my readers a Happy Thanksgiving. This year is unique in that both holidays coincide. According to some sources, this won't occur again for another 70,000 years. In Israel, we only celebrate Chanukah because our version of Thanksgiving was during Sukkot. Both are harvest festivals in which we give thanks to G-d. The Pilgrims allegedly considered their exodus to the New World (America) for religious freedom to be similar to the Jews’ exodus from Egypt to the Land of Israel.
Chanukah is called the Festival of Lights and the Festival of Miracles. Two thousand years ago, the Holy Temple in Jerusalem had been defiled when the Syrian-Greek Empire besieged Israel. A small band of Jews, the Maccabees, fought to defend G-d's Torah against 40,000 well trained soldiers of that empire. One of the miracles that occurred was the David vs. Goliath miracle of the Maccabees defeating the huge occupying army of the Syrian-Greek Empire, re-capturing, re-dedicating, and purifying the Holy Temple.
Although it took eight days to prepare non-polluted oil and make new holy vessels for cleansing the Holy Temple, there was only enough pure olive oil to burn for one night. Another miracle occurred when the oil defied the laws of physics and burned for eight days and nights. Therefore, Chanukah is celebrated for eight days in commemoration of these miracles.
Chanukah is one of my favorite holidays. Like most Jewish holidays, I am reminded of the age-old saying, “We were persecuted, we won, let's eat!” Like most Jewish holidays, the food we eat is symbolic of the holiday. Chanukah is celebrated by eating fried foods and cheese dishes. The fried foods represent the miracle of the oil burning eight days. The cheese dishes represent the cheese the Jewish heroine Yehudit (Judith) fed the enemy that resulted in Israel being saved.
Yehudit went into the enemy camp of Gen. Holofernes and fed him cheese, which made him thirsty. She quenched his thirst by offering him wine, knowing that the wine would make him drunk and sleepy. Taking his sword, she cut off his head and displayed it in the nearby town. When his soldiers saw it, they became scared and fled, allowing Israel to defeat them.
In the States, Chanukah is celebrated by eight nights of lighting colorful candles of a menorah, also called a chanukiah, by eating fried potato pancakes (latkes), and by playing the game of dreidel, a spinning top with Hebrew letters on its sides. One letter stands for “a great miracle happened there” (in Israel). However, Chanukah in Israel is celebrated by lighting wicks that float in olive oil-filled glass holders on the chanukiah instead of candles, by eating deep fried jelly donuts (suf-gan-i-ot), and by playing dreidel.
Important Differences
One main difference in the celebrations is the attitude of parents. Israeli parents teach giving. American parents teach receiving. In the States, children receive at least one present for each of the eight nights of Chanukah. The gift tradition resulted from Jewish parents not wanting their children to be envious of non-Jewish friends who received Xmas presents, since usually Chanukah and Xmas occur during the same time. But in Israel instead of gifts, parents give their children Chanukah “gelt” in the form of real money, not the foil covered chocolate coins found in the States. Then the Israeli parents teach their children to give charity with the money they received.
Outside Israel, many secular and non-religious Jews treat Chanukah as though it were a major Jewish holiday. It isn't even a national holiday in Israel. American Jews try to assimilate into other cultures and religions, accepting their traditions and rituals. Prime examples are the giving of Chanukah presents, and of celebrating Halloween, Valentine's Day, and Thanksgiving, all non-Jewish religious holidays. The Jewish version of Halloween is Purim, Valentine's is Tu B'Av, and Thanksgiving is Sukkot. How many Jews in the States celebrate those holidays?
In fact, the Chanukah holiday that American Jews place so much emphasis is really an anti-assimilation holiday. It is about fighting for the right to religious observance of Torah laws and anti-assimilation. Israel was persecuted by the Syrian-Greeks for circumcising their newborn sons, observing Shabbat, and obeying the kosher dietary laws of the Torah. They were forced to eat pork, accept idol worship, and assimilate into their oppressor's secular, anti-religious Hellenistic lifestyle.
The miracle of Chanukah is that a few Jews were able to fight off those who tried to prevent them from observing Torah. It baffles me how so many of those who make such a big deal about celebrating Chanukah in the States are the ones who feel Torah laws are obsolete in this day. Assimilation and failure to observe Torah was the greatest threat to the existence of the Jewish people in ancient days. It remains so today.
L'hitraot. Shachar
