Followers

Monday, December 5, 2016

HANUKAH-NOW A MAJOR HOLIDAY FOR JEWS TODAY



This year, in an unusual calendrical quirk, the first night of Hanukah will fall on the Eve of Christmas. My Google search pointed to the fact that this happens very rarely, maybe 4 times during a 100-year period. Last time, it occurred in 2005. While we, Jews, plan to light the first of the eight candles on Saturday night, Dec.24, 2016, our Christian neighbors will begin to celebrate the birth of Jesus. 


In Jewish tradition Hanukah is viewed as a “minor” festival. For example, Jewish law permits regular work on this day. As I remember, during my childhood in Istanbul, Turkey, we did not give much attention to the holiday. True, we did light the candles, ate “bimuelos” (putty fritters deep-fried in oil) or “borekas” (pastry filled with cheese or vegetables; my wife still makes them even during the year), celebrated the “merenda” (like, ‘pot-luck’) dinner on the last day of the festival, and sang special prayers and songs, but life went on as usual. Some of our prayers differed from those of Eastern European Jews and we never had “latkes” (potato pancakes) or played with “dreidels” (four-sided tops).  The use of “sufganiyot” (jelly doughnuts) in Israel is relatively new.  I also do not remember receiving any gifts on Hanukah. 


The reason why Hanukah was considered minor is most likely because it is not found in the Bible, but comes from the post-biblical period. The Apocrypha, a collection of books compiled after most of the Bible was edited, includes two books dealing with the festival: The First and Second book of Maccabees. The first is a “royal history” of the Hasmonean dynasty, whereas the second claims to be a shortened version of a five-volume history of the period by Jason of Cyrene. There are also a number of references to Hanukah in the writings of Josephus, the 1st cent. CE Jewish historian, as well as in the rabbinic literature (eg., Pesikta Rabbati 2:5; BT Shabbat 21b).


Today, things are different. Especially among Jews who live in close proximity to  Christians, Hanukah is now observed as a major holiday competing with Christmas. And it is getting even bigger by the year. Today, we celebrate it with family dinners, elaborate synagogue services, gifts to the family members, and special foods for the holidays, including latkes.


I see nothing wrong in this development. Hanukah includes many elements (forget about the so-called miracle-which was not) that make it a very significant festival for Jews today. Among the values it proclaims, one can mention, the right to be different, the necessity to fight oppression, the pride in one’s Jewish identity, the commitment to traditional values, the significance of Jewish survival and the necessity to support Israel. Hanukah also reminds us that our Jewish existence today is a testament to the light we still need to shed in the darkness that envelops our civilization, by stressing human values and respect for diversity. That is not bad at all. 


Happy Hanukah, and, to my Christian neighbors, a Merry Christmas.


Rabbi Rifat Sonsino, Ph.D.

Dec. 2016

Books by Rifat Sonsino:



FINDING GOD (URJ; Behrman House)

THE MANY FACES OF GOD (URJ; Behrman House)

WHAT HAPPENS WHEN I DIE? (URJ; Behrman House)

DID MOSES REALLY HAVE HORNS? (URJ; Behrman House)

SIX JEWISH SPIRITUAL PATHS (Jewish Lights; Turner)

THE MANY FACES OF GOD (URJ; Behrman House)

AND GOD SPOKE THESE WORDS (Commentary on the Decalogue; URJ; Behrman House)

VIVIR COMO JUDIO (Palibrio)

MODERN JUDAISM (Cognella)

MOTIVE CLAUSES IN HEBREW LAW (Scholars Press)