Jews, please tell me about Hanukkah.

[modest mouse]

I've yet to have many practicing Jews for friends or family so my exposure to the traditions of Hanukkah is minimal. I'm interested in learning more but don't feel that reading about it online will carry much meaning. If anyone would care to inform me of what the Holiday means to you, as a Jew, and some of the details, personal or otherwise.

Thanks in advance.

 

[Guest]

 

[sunstruck]

What it means to me has nothing to do with what it actually is (a celebration of victory in war).

To me it means the same as any other holiday. Family time.

I could tell you what the holiday is supposedly about (the festival of lights) or what it's actually about (the war thing) or what it evolved into (a Jewish Christmas) but you can look all that up on the net.

For me, the holiday itself has little to no meaning, but the tradtions my family has created have a great deal of sentimental value to me.

 

[acitore_vuli]

.

 

[modest mouse]

Thanks sunstruck, thats the sorta answer I'm looking for. Anyone else?

 

[miles]

There is a very special prayer Jews say at sunset on the day of every holiday. Here is the literal translation from Hebrew:



They tried to kill us.
We won.
Let's eat.

 

[tortoise]

LOL

I've never heard that prayer before, but it kicks ass.

 

[Cherry]

There is a very special prayer Jews say at sunset on the day of every holiday. Here is the literal translation from Hebrew:



They tried to kill us.
We won.
Let's eat.

HAHAHAA!

Cute, miles.

 

[sunstruck]

Another plug for my new invention. The latest in Judaic fashion. Order now while supplies last.

Ok, lol I've got a needle and somethread, I'm fucking making one of those! lol

 

[Nora]

I'm not sure if you're interested in the reason why we celebrate Chanukah or just personal anecdotes about what it means to us as individuals.

The "story of Chanukah" is that there was a mean, bad king named Antiochus who told us we had to worship the Greek gods cuz they had cooler headgear. Antiochus had his own crew of Syrians thugs. A family of brothers got together and formed a gang called The Maccabees (which means "hammer"). After 3 years they drove the Syrians off their turf, but not before the thugs trashed the Temple in Jerusalem that the Syrians had taken over as their own and decorated in an Late Greek motif.

So anyway, the Maccabees and their crew went to clean out the Temple and rededicate it to G-d by lighting the eternal flame (this is an oil lamp in every synagogue that's never allowed to go out). Unfortunately, they only found enough oil to burn for a single day, and back then folks had to press olives to get oil, so it would have taken them so long to make more that they knew it would go out before they would finish.

Miracle of miracles! The tiny jug of oil lasted for 8 days.

That's why Chanukah is celebrated for 8 days and is also called The Festival of Lights. There is a componant to the holiday that is a remembrance of driving out the occupying Syrians, but the focus of the celebration is actually on the miracle of G-d, in actuality. The word itself "Chanukah" means 'rededication'.

It's celebrated a little differently in different parts of the world. The only definite thing are the candles (which in many places are traditionally tiny pots of oil) and the prayers we say when lighting the candles. That's the "mandated" part. It's also traditional in most of the world to eat foods that are fried (it's an oil thing) and to Ashkenazim (Jews of European descent) that means latkes (potato/onion pancakes). In Israel it means donuts! YUM! I don't know if the Sephardim (Jews of Spanish and Northern African descent) have different traditions.

Gift giving at Chanukah is more of an American thang, because it falls around Christmas time. It basically gave little Shmuel a reason not to be so jealous when his neighbor, little Billy, got a ton of presents and he got none. Our big gift-giving holiday is really Purim.

When people ask, "when's Chanukah this year?" my favorite answer is, "the same day it is every year, the 25th of Nissan" which is the date of Chanukah on the Jewish Calendar.

What Chanukah is to me personally? Check the pic. That's me and my oldest brother in 1972. =)

 

[Olivianna]

what a cute picture!

The Sephardic tradition entails eating what some call 'Jerusalem Kugel,' which is a combo of fried noodles and potato. Not my cup of tea- I prefer latkes.

Yes, to me, Hannukah is about being with family, but then so is Shabbat, which is observed/celebrated every week. Hannukah, in compared with other Jewish holidays, is an extremely joyous holiday - a time to rejoice, play games, and sing in the light of burning candles. Of course, like most Jewish holidays, there is a somber note underlying the merriment - which is that the goal for which the Maccabees fought was for emancipation - religious freedom. In this way, for me, Hanukah is always tied to the oppression of Jews of the past - pogroms, the Holocaust. Hanukah recognizes/represents an ongoing, incessant struggle.

 

[p_p_man]

There is a very special prayer Jews say at sunset on the day of every holiday. Here is the literal translation from Hebrew:



They tried to kill us.
We won.
Let's eat.

Typical cold blooded comment by a typically cold blooded race/social group/religion...

Anyway I think you made it up...



ppman

 

[p_p_man]

LOL

but it kicks ass.

So did Charlie Chaplin...

ppman

 

[roxanne69]

I'm not sure if you're interested in the reason why we celebrate Chanukah or just personal anecdotes about what it means to us as individuals.

The "story of Chanukah" is that there was a mean, bad king named Antiochus who told us we had to worship the Greek gods cuz they had cooler headgear. Antiochus had his own crew of Syrians thugs. A family of brothers got together and formed a gang called The Maccabees (which means "hammer"). After 3 years they drove the Syrians off their turf, but not before the thugs trashed the Temple in Jerusalem that the Syrians had taken over as their own and decorated in an Late Greek motif.

So anyway, the Maccabees and their crew went to clean out the Temple and rededicate it to G-d by lighting the eternal flame (this is an oil lamp in every synagogue that's never allowed to go out). Unfortunately, they only found enough oil to burn for a single day, and back then folks had to press olives to get oil, so it would have taken them so long to make more that they knew it would go out before they would finish.

Miracle of miracles! The tiny jug of oil lasted for 8 days.

That's why Chanukah is celebrated for 8 days and is also called The Festival of Lights. There is a componant to the holiday that is a remembrance of driving out the occupying Syrians, but the focus of the celebration is actually on the miracle of G-d, in actuality. The word itself "Chanukah" means 'rededication'.

It's celebrated a little differently in different parts of the world. The only definite thing are the candles (which in many places are traditionally tiny pots of oil) and the prayers we say when lighting the candles. That's the "mandated" part. It's also traditional in most of the world to eat foods that are fried (it's an oil thing) and to Ashkenazim (Jews of European descent) that means latkes (potato/onion pancakes). In Israel it means donuts! YUM! I don't know if the Sephardim (Jews of Spanish and Northern African descent) have different traditions.

Gift giving at Chanukah is more of an American thang, because it falls around Christmas time. It basically gave little Shmuel a reason not to be so jealous when his neighbor, little Billy, got a ton of presents and he got none. Our big gift-giving holiday is really Purim.

When people ask, "when's Chanukah this year?" my favorite answer is, "the same day it is every year, the 25th of Nissan" which is the date of Chanukah on the Jewish Calendar.

What Chanukah is to me personally? Check the pic. That's me and my oldest brother in 1972. =)

Wow, Nora and Olivianna, thank you. I'm glad to see the true joy of Chanukah and the Chanukah story told so well

 

[Nora]

Ooooohhhh that sounds kinda tasty, Olivianna! I might have to get a recipe for that and give it a shot! *grins*

Oh yeah, I left out the whole playing dreidel bit, didn't I? Gambling for the pre-pubescent crowd. *grins* We'd use our Chanukah gelt for it.

<pedantic voice again>

Dreidels are 4 sided tops. On each side of the top is a hebrew letter. Unfortunately, I can't write in Hebrew on here for illustrative purposes. Anyway, the sides are:

Nun - for the word "nes"
Gimmel - for the word "gadol"
Hay - for the word "haya"
Shin - for the word "sham"

Dreidels were a way to teach kids about the story of Chanukah during periods when Judaism was outlawed. "Nes gadol haya sham" means "A great miracle happened there" (or here, when playing in Israel).

Like Rox pointed out, another reminder of the places/times that Jews have been persecuted.

 

[miles]

Typical cold blooded comment by a typically cold blooded race/social group/religion...

Anyway I think you made it up...



ppman

Typical comment from a Jew hating alcoholic. Tell me pp, do you wear a hood or a swastika?

Hic.

And no, I didn't make it up. It's a joke. Like you, only funny.

 

[Mischka]

"A great miracle happened there"

I like the mundane, everyday miracles myself. Like finding five bucks in my pocket, or that the milk is still good past its expiration date.

 

[miles]

I like the mundane, everyday miracles myself. Like finding five bucks in my pocket, or that the milk is still good past its expiration date.

I like this chick.

 

[Mischka]

This chick likes you, too.

 

[Guest]

 

[roxanne69]

I like the mundane, everyday miracles myself. Like finding five bucks in my pocket, or that the milk is still good past its expiration date.

I love those little miracles too but I think the Chanukah miracle is still relevant and perhaps more so today. It is a miracle, post shoah that we are even here. For that I am grateful every day. Not that I am here, but that you all are too.

 

[roxanne69]

read anything by the chief rabbi (UK) jonathan sacks

his writings are a good way to learn about judaism through the eyes of a committed humanist

There 2 other books I would like to recommend too. One is This Is My God by Herman Wouk (yes the same guy who wrote the Winds of War etc.) It is a great overview of Judaism for secular and non Jews. The other is Judaism for Idiots. I have read both and would probably go for the latter because it's much more fun to read and less dry but they are both really good.

 

[scrymettet]

There 2 other books I would like to recommend too. One is This Is My God by Herman Wouk (yes the same guy who wrote the Winds of War etc.) It is a great overview of Judaism for secular and non Jews. The other is Judaism for Idiots. I have read both and would probably go for the latter because it's much more fun to read and less dry but they are both really good.

Thank you

 

[Guest]

 

[tulip2lipservice]

HANS MY BITCH BOY SUB

DRAGGING YOUR COLLAR BEHING ME BACK TO YOUR CHAMBER YOU PIECE OF LOW SCUM UNTIL YOU LEARN TO BEHAVE. YOU ARE SUPPOSED TO BE DANCING IN THERE TO THE SONG THE BEE GEES WEARING THAT TUTO AND YOUR MUZZLE WITH LIPSTICK ON. OH SO PRETTY OH SO PRETTY YOU ARE....not..... COME ON HANSIE BACK TO THE THREAD UNTIL YOU LEARN TO TALK DECENT TO OTHERS.