Chanukkah is the celebration of the lights for the Jewish people. On the darkest nights of the year, Jews around the world gather around the Menorah to tell the story of Chanukkah, spin the dreidel, dance the Hora, and light the candles. Yet this year there is a question of whether celebrating the holiday is appropriate this season.
On October 7th the terrorist organization Hamas attacked Israel from the Gaza strip. Since that time period, many Jewish families have been ripped apart as many in Israel and across the diaspora have lost friends and family. As the Jewish world mourns over those kidnapped and murdered, it is hard to envision participating in one of the most joyous holidays on the Jewish calendar.
However, I think it is actually a perfect time to celebrate the holiday. The story of Chanukkah revolves around the persistence of the Jewish people in Israel. When the Greeks tried to take the Israelites’ land and make them slaves they assembled a small army that miraculously defeated the larger Greek one. The Jews have always been people who told and passed down their stories. As the war continues, sharing stories of strength and resilience is especially important for morale.
One of the most profound examples to me of this is the picture of a Menorah in front of a Nazi flag. On the back of the photo is written, “The flag says ‘death to Judaism,’ the light says ‘Judaism will live forever.’” The Menorah and photo now hang in Yad Vashem, the Israeli Holocaust Museum, as a reminder that even when darkness surrounds the Jewish people, there will be light. As darkness emerges and antisemitism rises, the light from our Menorahs will always answer back with the persistence of the Jewish people.
For many, the holiday season is spent in the arms of family. While this year may present a different scenario for Jews across the world who are kidnapped or serving, honoring the memory of Chanukkah is especially important. When we light the candles on all eight nights, it serves as a reminder of why fighting antisemitism is so important. Judaism has so many beautiful celebrations that deserve to live on. No one can take away our culture, traditions, or love for the religion. Never again is now, and the best way we can prove it is by taking ownership and pride of our culture. As the holiday season approaches, the Jewish light will not be dimmed.
