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The History of Hanukkah Gifts: Is This Custom Really a Jewish One?
The contemporary custom of wrapping presents gifts arose in conjunction with Christmas, but many aspects of gift-giving have distinctly Jewish roots, each of which has helped set the stage for the development of the ritual into what it is today.
Galilee Diary: Uncertainty Principle
The details of the lunar cycle have been understood for thousands of years.
The Melodies of the Four Questions: Mah Nishtanah Tunes for Passover
Do you remember the first time you were called upon to recite the four questions? There is nothing quite like the sound of the youngest child making a first attempt at the four questions. Proud parents at the ready silently mouthing the words lest the youngster should stumble and require...
Numbers, Stories, and a Long Tradition of Ritual
Parashat Sh'mini —the eighth day; how many of our parashiyot start with a number?
Remember the Days of Old
In Haazinu, Moses recites a poem telling the people of Israel that they must give glory to God and be true to God whose ways are just. He instructs them to consult their elders and “remember the days of old.”
Hanukkah
Hebrew Spelling
חֲנֻכָּה
Alternate Spelling
Chanukah, Hanukah, Chanuka, Hanuka
"Dedication;" the joyous eight-day celebration during which Jews commemorate the victory of the Macabees over the armies of Syria in 165 B.C.E. and the subsequent liberation and rededication of the Temple in Jerusalem.