Some other synonyms for light are  bright or brilliant.  We often become so caught up in gift buying and the children’s version of the Chanukah story, that we forget what the real history of this holiday is.  As I mentioned in last year’s Chanukah post, “The story of Chanukah marks a time when the Greeks were trying to assimilate the Jews.  They wanted us to worship their way.  They wanted us to decorate the Temple their way.  The Jews revolted and took back their sacred space, rededicating it to the Jewish religion.  Chanukah is a celebration of Jewish uniqueness and our ability to maintain our own identity in the midst of the wonderful cultures by which we have been surrounded over the centuries.”

Head on over to one of my favorite websites, MyJewishLearning to learn a lot more about this holiday.  This website gives you history, practical information (like how to light the candles and play Dreidel), holiday vocabulary, recipes, and more.  You can also find wonderful information on the Union for Reform Judaism’s website.

We are known as “The People of the Book” because of our great tradition of study and learning – so go study.  And then head over to the comments section and tell me one new thing that you learned about Chanukah from your study.

Happy Chanukah!