By Dr. Michael Laitman Hanukkah is a holiday when Jews celebrate their victory over the Seleucid Empire, which attempted to entrench the Hellenistic culture and belief system among the Jews in the land of Israel. This is the narrative we all know. But is this what really happened? For the most part, it was…
PHOTO: Yossi Wilhelm, a third-grader at Maimonides Jewish Day School, and Sivan Safran, center, a fifth-grader at Portland Jewish Academy, read their winning essays. Photos by Rob ProPhoto Winners of the Chanukah Essay Writing Contest on “What Chanukah Means to Me” read their winning essays Dec. 12 the annual Chabad public menorah lighting in Director…
All Jewish holidays begin with a good story. Passover depicts Moses facing off against Pharaoh, and Purim features Mordechai and Esther prevailing over the wicked Haman. Chanukah boasts a particularly compelling narrative with its epic tale of freedom versus tyranny. The underdog Maccabees managing to snatch victory from the jaws of defeat and the…
Dear Helen: I’m part of a circle of friends who’ve traded holiday gifts for decades. Eventually we stopped giving them to all the children, too, but it would feel very strange, even socially uncomfortable, to skip Chanukah gifts for the core friends. This summer I gently suggested donating our gift money as tzedakah instead; I…
