JEWISH HOLIDAY CHANUKAH BEGINS
The historical events that inspired the Chanukah holiday took place around 200 B.C.E. when Judea, the land of Israel, came under control of Antiochus III, the Seleucid king of Syria, who allowed the Jews who lived there to continue practicing their religion.
His son, Antiochus IV, however, was less benevolent; he outlawed the Jewish religion and ordered the Jews to worship Greek gods. In 168 B.C., his soldiers descended upon Jerusalem, massacred thousands of people, desecrated the city’s holy Second Temple and maintained an independent Jewish kingdom for more than a century.
Mattathias and his five sons led a large-scale rebellion against Antiochus and with the death of Mattathias in 166 B.C., his son Judah the Maccabee took over. Within two years the Jews had successfully driven the Syrians out of Jerusalem.
Judah and his followers cleansed the Second Temple, rebuilt its altar and lit the menorah—the seven branched candelabrum that represents knowledge and creation, meant to be kept burning every night.
Some modern historians, however, offer a much different interpretation and claim it was a civil war between two camps of Jews— the Hellenized Jews, modern and culturally more liberal- minded who had assimilated into the dominant culture and those who were determined to impose Jewish laws and traditions even by force, if necessary. The traditionalists won out in the end, with the Hasmonean dynasty wresting control of the Land of Israel from the Seleucids
“It was Jews fighting against Jews; it had to do with assim
ilation and modernization,” says Margaret Holub, Rabbi of the Mendocino Coast Jewish Community. “That’s hard for people to accept and understand. There was so much unrest in this small backwater of the Roman Empire that the Syrian overlord just closed the Temple.”
According to legend, the eight-day celebration commemorates the victory of a small force of brave Jewish men fighting against the mighty Greek-syrian oppressors and, against all odds, they recaptured the Temple, rededicated it and witnessed the occurrence of a miracle.
When the Maccabees arrived at the Temple, there was only enough consecrated olive oil to keep the seven-branched menorah’s candles burning for a single day. However, the flames continued to burn for eight days and nights allowing them time to find a fresh supply and to cleanse and rededicate the Temple. Thus, the miracle of Chanukah and the proclamation of a yearly eight-day festival when Jews around the world light an escalating number of candles each night.
Chanukah is a very minor Jewish tradition whose historical narrative is found in 1 Maccabbees in the Apocrypha in the Septuagint (a Greek translation) and has only become so well-known and widely celebrated because of its proximity to Christmas.
Holub explains that it is traditional to put the menorah in your window so that it can be seen from the outside; it’s about being visible not only as a Jew but also about a general willingness to let yourself be seen, “allowing ourselves, in all our ways, to be who we truly are,” she says.
“And lighting up the darkness is a spiritual act; to sit with that light and to display it, to be in that space of noticing where light fills the darkness, is a blessed thing to do.”
She talks about how Chanukah was a part of a much bigger struggle, considering that the success of the Maccabees was short-lived.
“I feel Chanukah is a lot about stopping and taking in hope in the middle of things, even when the battle isn’t won. That has been helpful and beautiful to me over the years.
“I’m looking forward to lighting the menorah each day and rededicating, to stop and think about what is important, remembering why I do what I do and remembering who I am committed to.”
Chanukah is about oil and oily food. In the Ashkenazic European tradition, Jews make potato latkes (pancakes).
“The important thing about latkes is not the potatoes; it’s about frying them in oil.”
Israelis often eat donuts; Sephardic Jews, Mizrahi Jews, from the Near East and India prepare fritters.
“It’s a fun tradition about celebrating oil.”
The Mendocino Coasts Jewish Community will gather on Zoom every night of Chanukah to light menorahs and will have a big Zoom party on Sunday, the 13th.
“Life is Zoom,” she says. “It has allowed us to come together more often; we blew the shofar every day during Elul and we shook the lulav every day during Sukkot.”
Being in the depths of the pandemic right now, she says it has been challenging to stay hopeful and resilient.
COVID arrived in early spring and Holub and her congregation have come together (through Zoom) to celebrate Passover, the High Holidays, Sukkot, Simchat Torah, Shavuot and now Chanukah.
“It’s hard for me to imagine having gotten through this period of time without these holidays and I appreciate how each one of them has provided sustenance and connection for us.
“To have a holiday about creating some light at this time feels like medicine to me.”