Hanukkah is a Festival of Lights at the darkest time of the year. We are grateful for illumination that abundantly lights our way even at the darkest of times. You may be challenged to find gratitude when the world is burning. Our greatest spiritual teachers encourage us to find gratitude in even the smallest things. …
The word “Hanukkah” – חֲנֻכָּה – means “dedication“. The Festival of Hanukkah celebrates the miracle of the oil that burned for eight nights. Hanukkah commemorates the purification and re-dedication of the Temple in Jerusalem after the Maccabees’ defeat of the Greeks. Tonight, we are looking towards what we can each dedicate ourselves to in improving …
We are living in dark days, and it is sometimes difficult to find hope. We are beset by images of the war in Israel and Gaza. Our climate is burning and species are dying. The generations struggle to understand each other’s points of view. We live with so many unswered questions. When will the war …
Tonight We Light Four Candles. Hanukkah is a celebration of miracles. There are several: the first is that during a time when the ancient temple was desecrated, a small quantity of oil that was only enough to last one night, actually burned for eight nights. Another is the miracle that a small band of Jews …
In a moving piece from Hannah Arendt, she notices that dark times are not rare, but that we have a “right to expect some illumination.” Arendt writes that this illumination comes from human beings who kindle a light with the way they live their lives. When we remember those people who illuminated our lives, it …
Lighting the Hanukkiah (Menorah) each night for eight nights is the central ritual of Hanukkah. We add a new candle each night, thereby increasing the light. The lighting of the candles on the Hanukkiah is symbolic of a miracle: A long time ago, when there was only enough oil to last one night, but it …
Our theme this year for Hanukkah is “Bringing Light to Darkness.” The Jewish holiday of Hanukkah occurs in the darkest time of the year on the 25th night of the Hebrew month of Kislev. In 2023, the first night of Hanukkah is Thursday, December 7. Unlike other Jewish holidays, Hanukkah begins when the moon has …
Music is the vehicle I turn to when times are difficult – and not so much as an escape, but as a balm to remind me that harmony and beauty are possible. From ancient times until today, music has been a source of comfort in times of distress.
A poetic prayer for those not ready to forgive by Rabbi Jill Zimmerman.
(This piece is a contribution to Midrash HaZak. See more info below on this wonderful project.) One day, I was perusing my dear friend Karen’s bookshelves because I was always interested in what new finds she had acquired. She commented to me that she had stopped purchasing new books. Instead, she was beginning to focus …
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