What is Hanukkah?

For Humanistic Jews, Hanukkah is a celebration of human courage. The flickering Hanukkah lights are a reminder of the struggle, courage, and fragile triumphs of the Jewish people. The flames are a link to the past and a tribute to the dignity of Jews everywhere.

Hanukkah, a Hebrew word meaning "dedication," is said to refer to the rededication of the Temple of Jerusalem by Judah Maccabee and his followers in 161 B.C.E. The basis of Hanukkah is the story of a Maccabean victory embellished by Talmudic legend.

This legend tells us that a small band of Jews led by Judah Maccabee and his family rebelled when the Greek King Antiochus Epiphanes sought to impose Greek culture and religion upon his Syrian empire, which then included Judea. Following their recapture of Jerusalem, the victorious Jews rededicated the Temple in Jerusalem and decreed an annual celebration of Jewish independence. Some six hundred years after the Maccabean victory, the rabbis, seeking to claim Hanukkah as their own, added the legend of the single flask of oil that miraculously burned for eight days.

The story of the Maccabees is a story of human courage, integrity, and hope. The success of their revolution is rooted in the people's desire for religious, political, and economic independence; their desire to choose their future for themselves. This they accomplished, not by pious pleas or tearful entreaties, but by decisive action, expert planning, and force of will.

The values of the Maccabean revolution are as important today as they were centuries ago. We, too, must take the future into their own hands. We must choose for ourselves how we shall live, and we must act on that choice courageously without loss of integrity or hope. Hanukkah is a valuable holiday for Humanistic Jews, affirming the wonder of nature, celebrating the courage of authentic heroes, and articulating the values we must have if heroism, humanity, and the natural order are to survive.

Celebrating Hanukkah

Hanukkah Celebration by TCHJ

Most celebrations reflect the ancient and traditional celebration of the holiday and include new meanings for our own day. Families often retell the ancient stories, share the rich symbols, and connect these with modern concerns and issues.

For Humanistic Jews, Hanukkah is a tribute to human power and courage. Judah Maccabee was a man who was willing to fight for what he believed, although like his enemy Antiochus Epiphanes, he was a religious zealot who denied freedom of worship to those who opposed him. Despite this, his example of fearlessness demonstrates ennobling bravery. Just as the Maccabees seized control of their own lives, we, as Humanistic Jews take our future into our own hands. We choose how we shall live, seeking to behave courageously and to preserve our integrity. For Humanistic Jews, Hanukkah is an endorsement of human strength and ingenuity, of hope and bravery.

Humanistic Jews celebrate Hanukkah as a reminder that human beings can use their abilities to enhance the quality of life. Hanukkah celebrations are festive occasions, marked by the lighting of the candles of the menorah. Families and communities gather for the holiday meal, featuring potato latkes. Hanukkah songs are sung and dreidel games are played. Often families bring their own menorah to light at the community celebration. The lights of the menorah serve as a connection with our past, as a link to other Jews, and as a reminder of the fragility life. We kindle the lights for our values: action, courage, human dignity, freedom, justice, Jewish identity, choice, strength, ingenuity.

(source: Society for Humanistic Judaism website)