From Rachel Reeves, Communications Co-Ordinator

Happy Chanukah! Or, as we say it in Hebrew, chag Chanukah sameach! (When transliterating Hebrew into English letters, “ch” is used for a guttural H – clear your throat a bit. You can call it Hanukkah if that’s easier!)

We wish a very happy Chanukah to all our Jewish colleagues and anyone else who wants to join in celebrating the eight-day Jewish Festival of Lights, which started last Sunday.

It celebrates the rededication of the Temple in Jerusalem in the second century BCE; in fact, the name Chanukah comes from the Hebrew word for “dedication”. During the second century BCE, King Antiochus launched an attack on the Jewish community, outlawing its religious practices and defiling the Temple. The Jewish army, led by Judah Maccabee and often known itself as the Maccabees, fought back and eventually won.

The story goes that as the Jews cleaned up and reclaimed the Temple, however, they found that there was almost no oil left for the menorah – the seven-branched candelabra that needed to be kept alight constantly. There was only one day’s worth of oil left and it would take much longer than this to acquire more.

Still, the lamp was lit…and by a miracle, the oil lasted for eight full days, giving the Jews enough time to obtain more and keep the light burning. Nowadays, the festival is marked by lighting a chanukiah (not quite the same as a menorah – it has eight branches, plus an extra one for the candle that is used to light the others) and eating oily food such as doughnuts and potato fritters, much like hash browns, called latkes. Gifts are exchanged and children often receive money (or chocolate coins!), known as Chanukah gelt.

There is also a tradition of playing a game with a simple spinning top called a dreidel. According to lore, Jews would continue practising their faith illegally under Antiochus, but would quickly pretend to be playing dreidel if a soldier approached.

Chag Chanukah sameach to all!