Hanukkah marks historic victory of Jewish people

Eight-day holiday falls near Christmas, but is not a Jewish equivalent.

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12:19 AM Monday, December 19, 2011

By Hannah Poturalski

Staff Writer

The eight-day Jewish holiday Hanukkah begins at sundown Tuesday, and some local rabbis say it’s often misconstrued as the Jewish equivalent to Christmas.

Rabbi Haviva Horvitz, of Temple Beth Sholom in Middletown, said that the holiday is actually not a major one in Judaism.

Horvitz said the holiday goes virtually unnoticed in Israel, and falls behind Passover, Sukkot and Shavuot, or “Festival of Weeks,” in spiritual significance.

“It’s become more of a Jewish Christmas with focus on candlelight and presents,” Horvitz said. “It’s a children’s-oriented holiday.”

Rabbi Eric Slaton, of Beth Israel in Hamilton, shared a similar sentiment when he said the Jewish population can sometimes feel lonely during the traditional Christmas season as so many of their friends and neighbors are celebrating the Christian holiday.

Slaton described the peaceful, mutual respect found between the two belief systems as wonderful.

“There was a time when Jews used to be afraid to put the (lighted menorah) in their window; people forget how remarkable (the tolerance) is in America,” he said.

Hanukkah recalls the victory more than 2,100 years ago of the Jewish people, notably Judah the Maccabee, over enemy forces that had overrun ancient Israel and sought to impose restrictions on Judaism.

During the occupation of Jerusalem, Assyrian Greeks defiled oils in the Temple and rendered them unfit for the lighting of the menorah, a daily part of the service.

Upon recapturing the Temple, there was one lone flask of pure oil, enough to burn only one day. Miraculously, it lasted for eight days until new oil was produced. In commemoration of the event, Jewish people light the menorah, an eight-branched candelabra, for eight days.

“One of the benefits of living in America is the wonderful freedom to have a synagogue right in the middle (of the city) and observe as you please,” Horvitz said.

“We have different beliefs, but we’re basic people.”

About their practice of lighting the menorah, Slaton said: “It’s a lovely symbol; it’s a statement of faith that the darkness (of winter) isn’t forever. We don’t give into the darkness, we create more light.”

Staff writer Eric Robinette contributed to this report.

»List of Hanukkah events. C2

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