Hanukkah: From Battleground to Festival of Lights
The Hebrew word Hanukkah means “dedication” and refers to the joyous eight-day celebration through which Jews commemorate the victory of the Maccabees over the armies of Syria in 165 B.C.E. and the subsequent liberation and “rededication” of the Temple in Jerusalem.
Hanukkah Blessings
Shehecheyanu
Recite this blessing the first time you do something each Jewish calendar year (e.g., the first night of Hanukkah when you light the menorah), and to mark joyous occasions.
hanukkiyah
Nine-branched candelabra used during Hanukkah – eight branches for each night of the holiday, plus another branch (often taller, central, or more prominently displayed) for the shamash (helper) candle, which is used to light the others.
dreidel
"Spinning top" in Yiddish (derived from German); "sevivon" in Hebrew; toy used in a children's Hanukkah game.
gelt
"Money" (Yiddish); often given as a Hanukkah gift; used for playing dreidel.
Hanukkah
"Dedication;" the joyous eight-day celebration during which Jews commemorate the victory of the Macabees over the armies of Syria in 165 B.C.E. and the subsequent liberation and rededication of the Temple in Jerusalem.
This Hanukkah, Bring the (Edible) Shtetl to Life for Teens
When teens at a regional NFTY event ask when you are going to repeat the program they just attended, you must be doing something right. Coming out of the program, it was clear that they were happy – happy because they were fully engaged, had fun, and because along the way, they learned something about themselves, their peers, their identity and their heritage.
"Manna Sandwiches" and the Jewishness of Experimenting with Recipes
There is something very Jewish about the way I use cookbooks, and the way I use Jewish cookbooks, in particular.
Ma’oz Tzur for Pittsburgh
Coming so soon after the massive trauma in Pittsburgh, how would Hanukkah be felt in the hearts and spirits of the people there?