[img]96|left|Shachar||no_popup[/img] Dateline Jerusalem — Chanukah, a time of celebration in Israel, begins tonight.
Yet it is more significant than just a joyous holiday when Israelis, and Jews throughout the world, for eight days recite special prayers and blessings, light chanukkiah menorahs (candelabras) bearing colorful candles or wicks floating in olive oil-filled glass bulbs, eat sufganiot (deep fried jelly donut balls sprinkled with powdered sugar) and levivot (potato latkes, pancakes made of shredded potatoes and chopped onions mixed with egg and flour and then fried in olive oil until brown and crispy), served with sprinkled sugar or applesauce or sour cream, munch on Chanukah gelt (gold and silver foil-wrapped coins of chocolate) while playing dreidel (4-sided spinning top) and dancing the hora, and get thirsty from all the cheese dishes.
It is a holiday that represents religious freedom for the Jewish people and their fight for liberty as a nation against overwhelming odds.
Chanukah observance in Israel is different than in the U.S.
Most chanukkiah menorahs are lit with olive oil instead of candles. The jelly donuts (sufganiot) are a national food unique to Israel, nothing like the jelly donuts bought in donut shops in the States. These delicious donuts are served warm. They are the mainstay of the holiday as compared to the potato pancakes (latkes) eaten in American homes.
When playing the dreidel, the Hebrew letter that represents “A great miracle happened here” (meaning in Jerusalem) is used instead of the letter for “A great miracle happened there,” which is imprinted on the spinning tops found outside Israel. And, although celebrated for eight days and nights, presents are not given out on a daily basis.
That tradition was instituted by Jewish families outside Israel to compete with the gift-giving of Christmas in the Diaspora.
Chanukah is a time to commemorate the re-dedication of the Second Temple in Jerusalem after its desecration by the Syrian Greeks under Antiochus IV.
Delving into Meanings
The word “Chanukah” means “dedication” in Hebrew. Under the reign of Antiochus IV, the Holy Temple was defiled and used as a center of idol worship to Zeus. Jews were forced into Hellenization (assimilation into the culture and religion of their conquerors).
They were forced to eat pork (forbidden by the Torah), and the observance of Shabbat (Sabbath) and circumcision were punishable by death. They were encouraged to intermarry, to give up their observance of Hashem (G-d), to become like everyone else, to deny their Jewish identity.
Therefore, although most Jews became Hellenized, some revolted. Judah Maccabee fought against the Syrian Greek army and was able to liberate Jerusalem, cleanse the Holy Temple, relight its menorah with one day's worth of pure, undefiled olive oil that miraculously lasted for eight days (the time it takes to purify the oil).
My favorite heroine of the time was Yehudit who brought salty cheese dishes to a Syrian Greek general. All the cheese made him thirsty, so she gave him wine. When he became drunk and sleepy, she beheaded him. This scared the rest of his army into retreating and thus enabled the small band of Jews to win the war against the great army.
History Repeating Itself
Today, when celebrating Chanukah, Jews throughout the world should think of the symbolic significance of the holiday as it commemorates the re-dedication of the Temple, the liberation of the Jewish people, and the miracle of lights (oil).
When eating the fried food in olive oil and the cheese dishes, lighting the menorah for eight nights, and enjoying all the other traditions associated with the holiday, it is important to think of what is happening here in Israel.
The world wants Israel to give up control of the Temple Mount, to give up areas of Jerusalem, to assimilate with other religions and cultures, to give up the Jewish identity of the State of Israel. There are movements to ban circumcision and kosher food in many countries. Even in Israel there are movements to desecrate Shabbat and make the country secular in nature. In essence, history is repeating itself.
As with all Jewish holidays, there are lessons to be learned from the symbolic traditions and observances. Wishing all a happy, healthy, and safe Chanukah.
L'hitraot. Shachar.
Shachar is the Hebrew name of a California-based attorney and former Los Angeles County deputy sheriff who moved to Israel 2 1/2 years ago.
