Events and Activities Ideas:
Channkah - November 30, 2002 - December 7, 2002
On the twenty-fifth day of Kislev, the Jewish people light the candles of the menorah to commemorate the victory of the Jews against the Assyrians. The courage and resistance of the Maccabees and their allies to fight against the Assyrians kept the Jewish people alive and allowed the Jewish traditions to continue.
Background: Chanukah
The Assyrians, whose goal was to force the Jews to assimilate and abandon their traditions and rituals, also wanted to desecrate the Temple. The heroes of this period were the Maccabees, who refused to submit to Assyrian rule and assimilate.
Chanukah literally translates to mean “dedication.” As our tradition tells us, it was the Maccabees who rededicated the Temple after their victory over the Assyrians. What followed was almost a century of Jewish rule in the ancient land of Israel.
Our custom tells us of “the miracle of the light” – that period when a single day's supply of pure oil kept the menorah burning for eight full days while a new supply was transported from the Galilee. For that reason, each year we light the menorah for eight nights during Chanukah to remind us of this miracle.
When we contemplate the greater lessons of Chanukah, we come to understand two important concepts: (1) the importance of finding the light from darkness and (2) the importance of keeping to tradition and history, for the Assyrians wanted the Jews to assimilate and adopt their gods and culture, but the Jews refused to assimilate. In searching for the deeper meaning, in both an environmental and personal sphere, we are always searching for the light and balancing history with the future.
Beyond the mass commercialization of Chanukah as part of the “holiday season”, it is a time for us as Jews to look for ways of adding light where we see darkness in our internal and external worlds.
Event Ideas:
1) Tell the Story – Chanukah is a story of Jewish resistance and survival. Hold a simple celebration to light the menorah and to tell the story of Chanukah. To add a little twist to the gathering, try to infuse elements of Israel into the ceremony.2) "Save the Oil" Fundraiser – The miracle of Chanukah is how the one canister of oil burned for 8 full days. As a unique fundraiser, have members commit to not use their cars for eight days and donate the money that they would have used on oil (gasoline) to a charitable cause.
3) Finding the Light – Chanukah is a story about finding light where there was none. Chanukah is a time to do things for others. Take action within your community. Adopt a local family in need, or do work on behalf of an Israeli charity.
4) Peer to Peer Presents – Why not use Chanukah as an opportunity to reach out to your Israeli peers serving in the Israeli Defense Forces? Adopt a few IDF soldiers and send them some trinkets from their US brethren.
5) Israeli Gift Swap – Everyone loves presents. Host a gift swap for Chanukah with one condition - all gifts have to be from or about Israel.
Resources:
Chabad
This article also belongs to the following subjects:
Judaism
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Holidays with a Twist
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Chanukah
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Importance of Chanukah
It´s very important to remember over and over, the survival element embedded in Jewish people.
Also "the miracle of light" will prevail over the evil of Israel´s enemies....
By: enigma (rrobregon@...) - December 11, 2002
