What Is Hanukkah?

Chag Chanukah Sameach! Shabbat shalom! And may I also wish you all a Shavua tov!Reply

Happy Chanukah to all and May the God of Issac, Jacob and Abraham bless you. It signifies another culture trying to wipe away the Jewish culture but May the spirit of Judah be with you all and continue to pass down the traditions of your faithReply

I want to wish you and all the Chabad Community a Happy Hanukkah!

The small jar of oil eight days, giving us the eight day celebration of Chanukah.

Why cant you spell God, instead of G-d???Reply

Learn what to expect at a public menorah lighting.

c. A little light goes a long way. The Chanukah candles are lit when dusk is falling. Perched in the doorway, they serve as a beacon for the darkening streets. No matter how dark it is outside, a candle of G‑dly goodness can transform the darkness itself into light.

my name is Paul Daniel McCabe and was surprised that a maacabbee was involved in the history of chanukahReply

View (and print) a Chanukah calendar.

Since 14 years ago I belong to The Chabad Community here in USA and abroad. Ive been sort of a beacon for those ethnic Jews that are afraid to embrace our way of life and faith. The Almighty One of Israel, BH, gifted me with the gift of different languages and I have used it to translate to them the knowledge I have acquired from you. Many of them are now belonging to the Chabad Community.

Rosenberg of Afula, Israel, the father of

Wondering yep me too; G-d. Is the author afraid of the word God – its not respectful in mis spelling and besides it is thrown around everywhere in praise or cursing.Reply

GOD Bless each and every one of you and the great Nation of Israel!!

In the second century BCE, the Holy Land was ruled by the Seleucids (Syrian-Greeks), who tried to force the people ofIsraelto accept Greek culture and beliefs instead ofmitzvahobservance and belief inG‑d. Against all odds, a small band of faithful Jews, led byJudahtheMaccabee, defeated one of the mightiest armies on earth, drove the Greeks from the land, reclaimed the Holy Temple inJerusalemand rededicated it to the service of G‑d.

Be proud of holding such a last name!Reply

In todays consumer-driven society, people tend to place great importance on giving Chanukah gifts. However, the tradition is actually to give Chanukahgelt, gifts of money, to children. In addition to rewarding positive behavior and devotion toTorahstudy, the cash gifts give the children the opportunity to givetzedakah(charity). This has also spawned the phenomenon of foil-covered chocolate gelt.

Its a great time of year to show more tolerance to all. We must all work together to make the world a better place!Reply

You are my stronghold during my most trying moments…

Happy Hanukkah for you brother!!!Reply

On Chanukah, it is customary to play with a dreidel (a four-sided spinning top bearing the Hebrew letters,nun,gimmel,heiandshin, an acronym fornes gadol hayah sham, a great miracle happened there). The game is usually played for a pot of coins, nuts, or other stuff, which is won or lost based on which letter the dreidel lands when it is spun.

Years ago I lived right across the street from Ansher Sephard Synogogue in Memphis, but knowing nothing about the religion, I never tried to enter the building, and wish I had learned something about it.

Wish you all a Happy Hanukkah !Reply

Please read Why dont you spell out G-ds name? in the article.Reply

b. Always increase in matters of goodness and Torah-observance. Sure, a single flame was good enough for yesterday, but today needs to be even better.

Thank you for the resource, the questions and answers in the comment section are equally educational.

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I have learned so much about my Jewish faith through you… I do not have enough words in any language to thank you…

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a. Never be afraid to stand up for whats right. Judah Maccabee and his band faced daunting odds, but that didnt stop them. With a prayer on their lips and faith in their heart, they entered the battle of their livesand won. We can do the same.

Being only a frequent, but part-time attendee in an Episcopal Church, I recently took a very unique class instructed by a nice, very helpful Israeli citizen who grew up here. Some of his comments made me much more curious about life over there.

Its Chag Sameach or Chag Chanukah Sameach.Reply

Chanukah begins on the eve ofKislev25 and continues for eight days. On the civil calendar, it generally coincides with the month of December.

To all my Jewish brothers and sisters! I pray this will be the most blessed, safe and Happy Hunakka you have ever had !

thank you for having this it helped me a lotReply

Read the full menorah-lighting guide.

Is there a greeting or saying (like happy holidays, etc.) to say? and how do you pronounce it (simply)? thank you.Reply

As a Christian, I stand with our Hebrew brothers and sisters in unity.Reply

is the Jewish eight-day, wintertime festival of lights, celebrated with a nightlylighting, special prayers and fried foods.

Chanukah MeaningChanukah…After retaking Jerusalem, The Maccabees searched the entire Temple, but only one jar of oil bearing the pure seal of the High Priest could be found miraculously.

We recite the specialHallelprayer daily, and addVAl HaNissimin our daily prayers and in theGrace After Meals, to offer praise and thanksgiving to G‑d for delivering the strong into the hands of the weak, the many into the hands of the few … the wicked into the hands of the righteous.

At the heart of the festival is the nightly menorah lighting. The menorah holds nine flames, one of which is theshamash(attendant), which is used to kindle the other eight lights. On the first night, we light just one flame. On the second night, an additional flame is lit. By the eighth night of Chanukah, all eight lights are kindled.

Special blessingsare recited, often to a traditional melody, before the menorah is lit, andtraditional songsare sung afterward.

Sincethe Chanukah miracle involved oil, it is customary to eat foods fried in oil. The Eastern-European classic is the potatolatke(pancake) garnished with applesauce or sour cream, and the reigning Israeli favorite is the jelly-filledsufganya(doughnut).

Noting that one should spend time in close proximity to the Chanukah lights, the Previous Rebbe would say, We must listen carefully to what the candles are saying. So what are the flickering flames telling us? Here are some messages:

When they sought to light the Temples Menorah (the seven-branched candelabrum), they found only a single cruse of olive oil that had escaped contamination by the Greeks. Miraculously, they lit the menorah and the one-day supply of oil lasted for eight days, until new oil could be prepared under conditions of ritual purity.

A menorah is lit in every household (or even by each individual within the household) andplaced in a doorway or window. The menorah is also lit in synagogues and other public places. In recent years,thousands of jumbo menorahshave cropped up in front of city halls and legislative buildings, and in malls and parks all over the world.

Chanukah stories to tug at your heartstrings

The Hebrew word Chanukah means dedication, and is thus named because it celebrates the rededication of the HolyTemple(as youll read below). Also spelledHanukkah(or variations of that spelling), the Hebrew word is actually pronounced with a guttural, kh sound, kha-nu-kah, not tcha-new-kah.

Despite really disliking long flights ( 9 hours), we want to visit Israel one day.Reply

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Jewish people always spell it G-dReply

Holtzberg, lights a 25-foot steel menorah during Chanukah 2008 in front of the Gateway of India in Mumbai just weeks after his daughter and son-in-law, Rabbi Gavriel Holtzberg, were killed in a terrorist attack. Gavriel Holtzberg would light that menorah each year. (Photo by Serge Attal/Flash90)

Just now-for the first time-I read a good summary of what Hannukah is about, and was very surprised.

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Chanukah which means dedication in Hebrew, begins on the 25th of the Jewish month of Kislev. The Channukah Menorah is a nine branched candleabrum, lit during the 8 day holiday..The nineth one is called Shamash.

e. Dont be ashamed to perform mitzvahs, even if you will feel different. Rather, be like a menorah, proudly proclaiming its radiant uniqueness for all to see.

To commemorate and publicize these miracles, the sages instituted the festival of Chanukah.

Happy Chanukah shabbat Shalom To All! G-D Bless..Reply

d. Take it to the streets. Chanukah is unique in that its primary mitzvah is observed in public. Its not enough to be a Jew at heart, or even at home. Chanukah teaches us to shine outwards into our surroundings with the G‑dly glow ofmitzvahs.

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