A Light in the Darkness of Our Times Shabbat Shalom & Chanukah Sameach

This year, as we gather to kindle the lights of Chanukah, our hearts and our tables hold both joy and heaviness. We rejoice in the miracles of old — the improbable victory of a small band of Jews against a mighty empire and the single jar of pure oil that illuminated the Menorah for eight days. Yet we cannot forget what our people are living through today: the weight of war, fear, and uncertainty — and the family who is still waiting desperately for their loved one to come home.

For the first time in generations, the message of Chanukah feels less like a distant history lesson — and more like a living truth. We are once again witnessing miracles in real time. We are once again praying for the victory of light over a cruel darkness that seeks to extinguish Jewish life. We are once again begging Hashem for a release — for the captive to return home, for tears to turn into relief and gratitude, for a mother and father to hold their child again.

Every hostage released is a miracle. Every whisper of good news reminds us: Am Yisrael Chai — the Jewish Nation Lives. And as we place each flame into the Menorah this year, we are not merely recalling ancient salvation; we are pleading for new deliverance. We are asserting that Jewish hope is stubborn, Jewish identity is eternal, and Jewish light cannot be extinguished.

Guarding the Purity of the Miracle

Chanukah always falls during a season in which the world around us decorates itself with sparkling trees, red and green lights, and festive shopping campaigns. It can be tempting, especially in the Diaspora, to blend the celebrations or to blur the lines — to treat Chanukah as a Jewish version of a winter holiday.

But we must remember: Chanukah is not Jewish Christmas. It never was, and it must never become so.

Chanukah does not celebrate gift-giving or seasonal cheer in its original form. It celebrates Jewish resistance to assimilation. It marks the courage of the Maccabees who refused to let Hellenistic culture dilute the holiness of our Torah, our mitzvot, our identity. The entire miracle exists because our ancestors insisted on purity — pure faith, pure oil, pure devotion to Hashem.

Historically, there has certainly been a tradition of giving Hanukkah gelt — money given at Chanukah — which many trace to at least the 18th-century Jewish communities in Europe as tokens of gratitude, charity and support for learning. (Sources 2Chabad+2)

The modern practice of gift-giving — exchanging presents or non-monetary gifts — is far newer. In fact, historians note that widespread “gift giving” at Chanukah only emerged among many communities around the 19th century, particularly among Jews in America, largely under the influence of Christian-majority cultural norms and in response to the growing prominence of Christmas. (sources My Jewish Learning+2brandeis.edu+2)

Even today, we must be careful not to confuse these later cultural accretions — gelt or gifts — with the core of what Chanukah commemorates: resisting assimilation, upholding Torah and heritage, and kindling holiness in a dark world.

This year, more than ever, we are called to protect and preserve the unique essence of Chanukah:

• Tell the real story — of bravery, of Torah, of sovereignty, of Divine rescue

• Light the Menorah in a window — proudly and visibly

• Sing “HaNerot Halalu” and “Maoz Tzur” aloud

• Learn and teach Torah connected to the battles and spiritual heroism of the Maccabees

• Dedicate each night’s flame to the safety of our soldiers, the healing of our wounded, the return of every hostage

We are not merely observers of a holiday — we are its continuation.

Holding Light for One Another

In times like these, every mitzvah carries extra power. Every candle we light declares to the world:

The Jewish flame is eternal. It has survived every empire, every hatred, every threat —and it will burn on, in Jerusalem and in every Jewish home.

Let us stand together, with emunah and unity, and let our Menorahs shine for those who cannot yet kindle their own. May those lights rise to the Heavens as a plea and a promise: that Hashem should lift the darkness from our people and bring peace, healing, and homecoming swiftly.

May this Chanukah bring miracles as great as those our ancestors witnessed in the days of the Maccabees — miracles of strength, miracles of survival, miracles of return.

Shabbat Shalom & Chanukah Sameach.May our lights this year shine comfort, courage, and hope for all of Am Yisrael.

Maddie Myriam Schumann