Happy Eight Days of Chanukah - Day 1 Message

The Hebrew word "Chanukah" is related to two modern Hebrew words: dedication and education.

When the Maccabees liberated the Holy Temple from the Hellenists, they were deeply disturbed by how Judaism’s holiest place had been abused and desecrated. The Temple needed to be cleaned and repaired, but it also required rededication as God’s Holy House. This dedication is the source of the name of the holiday.

And yet, each year we are also devoting eight nights to the spiritual roots of education. The essence of Jewish education is learning what it is to which we dedicate ourselves.

The Festival of Lights is the ideal time to rededicate ourselves to whatever is most important to us: for ourselves and our families, for our community, for the country, for Israel, for the planet. The Chanukah story, which we will be retelling and discussing on Friday, December 7, serves to remind us that small group of dedicated activists   can indeed triumph over mightier, but malevolent, powers.