The Jewish holiday of Hanukkah (also known as the Festival of Lights), had its beginnings in 165 B.C.E. in Israel. In that time, the Greco-Syrian ruling empire was headed by Antiochus IV, a ruthless leader who had no tolerance for Judaism and its followers. Antiochus desecrated Jewish temples, outlawed all Jewish practices, and required Jews to publicly denounce their faith. Finally, a leader named Judah Maccabee rose up against Antiochus. With a small group of rebellious followers, Judah defeated the great military force of Antiochus, and restored the holy temples back to the Jewish faith.
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According to tradition, when the temple was rededicated, the Greeks had defiled almost all the oil for the menorah (a candelabrum that was supposed to burn every night, all through the night). The Jews only had enough oil for one day, but in a miracle, that oil lasted for eight days.
Hanukkah, meaning “dedication” in Hebrew, is an eight day holiday commemorating this miracle. On each day of the festival, an additional candle is added to the menorah, culminating on the last day, when all eight candles are fully lit.
The true meaning of Hanukkah runs much deeper and could be said to symbolize a triumph of religious freedom over assimilation. Antiochus’s view of the world was not unlike that of other brutal dictators in more recent history. He desired complete and total control over his subjects, and he sought to stamp out any diversity created by ethnic and religious minorities. Judah Maccabee’s great victory may well have prevented the total disappearance of the Jewish faith.
Despite the fact that Hanukkah is the most recognized Jewish holiday among non-Jews, it has far less religious importance in Judaism than other holidays such as Rosh Hashanah, Yom Kippur, Sukkot, Passover, and Shavu’ot. In fact, the story of Judah Maccabee and his triumph over Antiochus are not even mentioned in the Hebrew Scriptures. Some say that many ancient rabbis had concerns about the story and the military violence it entailed, and therefore they downplayed the importance of Hanukkah to the Jewish faith. Nonetheless, Hanukkah continues to be eagerly celebrated by adults and children alike.
Although Hanukkah does come at the same time of year as Christmas, it cannot be compared to this Christian holiday, as they are not celebrating the same things. However, many non-Jews (and even some assimilated Jews!) consider Hanukkah to be a “Jewish Christmas” of sorts. In recent history, gift-giving has become a regular tradition of Hanukkah, possibly so that young Jewish children would not become jealous of the many Christmas gifts their Christian counterparts received at the same time of year.
Another modern tradition of Hanukkah is playing dreidel. Dreidel is a gambling game played with a four-sided top. Tradition says that during the reign of Antiochus, those who wanted to study Hebrew Scripture (then an illegal activity), would hide their studies by playing gambling games with a top whenever an official was nearby. The four sides of a dreidel feature the Hebrew letters Nun, Gimel, Hei, and Shin. When put together, the letters stand for the Hebrew phrase, “A Great Miracle Happened There,” referring to the miracle of the oil that lasted for eight days.
Potato latkes, a traditional food of Hanukkah, are small potato pancakes fried in oil. It is quite common to eat fried foods during the Festival of Lights, because oil has such a great significance to the holiday.
Potato Latkes
Ingredients:
4 medium potatoes, shredded and liquid pressed out
1 medium onion, finely chopped and liquid pressed out
2 eggs
¾ C. matzah meal (can substitute flour or bread crumbs)
Salt and pepper to taste
Vegetable oil for frying
Sour cream and/or applesauce, if desired
In a large bowl, combine potatoes and onion. Add eggs and mix well. Add matzah meal gradually, while mixing. You may not need all the matzah meal, depending on how well you pressed the liquid out of the potatoes and onions. The mixture should be doughy, but not dry. Add a few dashes of salt and pepper.
In a large and deep frying pan, heat ½” of oil to medium-high heat. Form batter into thin, palm-sized patties and fry in oil, flipping only once the bottom is golden brown. Dry the cooked latkes on paper towels to absorb excess oil.
Serve hot, topped with sour cream or applesauce, if desired.
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