Hanukkah - Festival of Lights

The story begins with the reign of Alexander the great, he allowed all the lands that were under his control to keep practicing and living the way they had been, the Jewish people lived and practiced Judaism as they always had among the gentiles and even adapted to take on their language and the Greek way of dressing.

Hanukkah Candle Lighting Blessings

It is a custom to light a candle for eight days of Hanukkah. One candle is added to the menorah each night. The first night, you light only the Shamash (the one at a different height) and one Hanukkah candle. By the eighth night, you light all of the candles. Candles should be added to the menorah from right to left.

Eight facts about Hanukah

The festival of Chanukah is one of the best loved and most widely observed events in the Jewish calendar. The powerful images of the miracles of the Jewish victory over the Selucid Greeks in the 2nd Century BCE and the miracle of the one-day supply of oil burning eight days in the re-dedication of the Temple are an annual inspiration to Jews everywhere.

Dreidel

Another tradition of the holiday is playing dreidel, a gambling game played with a square top. Most people play for matchsticks, pennies, M&Ms or chocolate coins. The traditional explanation of this game is that during the time of Antiochus' oppression, those who wanted to study Torah would conceal their activity by playing gambling games with a top whenever an official or inspector was within sight.

Hanukkah Foods and why we eat them

Potato pancakes, known as latkes in Yiddish, are traditionally associated with Hanukkah, especially among Ashkenazi families. There is a custom of eating foods fried or baked in oil (preferably olive oil), as the original miracle of the Hanukkah menorah involved the discovery of the small flask of oil used by the Jewish High Priest, the Kohen Gadol.

Hanukkah Songs

“Maoz Tzur” - Mighty Rock of my Salvation, Chanukah OH Chanukah, The Beis Hamikdash: The Temple, I Have a Little Dreidel, The Halachos Song – Do it Right on Chanukah night, Fire is Hot, Shalom Children and more..