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Hanukkahistime forrejoicingfthanksgivingBy KIM KIRKHAM Lifestyle WriterJewish families ignited the holiday spirit last night when they lit their menorah candles.A minor festival, Hanukkah began at dark last night and will continue for eight days.Although it’s not considered the most important holiday, Susan Lewis said American Jews celebrate Hanukkah more than others around the world “probably because so much emphasis is put onChristmas.”Hanukkah joy is expressed in festive meals, songs, games and gifts to children.It’s a time “for families to get together and celebrate,” said Lewis. “It’s also a time when charitable contributions are made to remember those who are not as fortunate.”Dreidel is a game played at Hanukkah by Jewish children all over the world, Lewis said. “It’s a betting game,” she said. A four-sided toy is spun like a top in the game of chance.Chocolate money, pennies or some other type of coin is used. The object of the game is to get the most money. Lewis says the secret is to eat the candy before someone else can win it.While other children are receiving gifts from Santa and relatives, Jewish children receive gifts each night of Hanukkah. “This gives them the opportunity to get and receive gifts, too,” Lewis said.Candles are lit in the Hanukkah menorah each night. One candle is lit the first evening; an additional candle is lit each subsequent evening untileight candles are lit on the last evening.Hanukkah commemorates the rededication of the temple on Kislev 25, 164 b.c.e. (before the common era), and candles are lit to recall the Talmud story of how a small, one-day supply of nondesecrated oil miraculously burned in the temple for eight full days until new oil could be obtained, hence the eight-day celebration of Hanukkah.The ninth candle is called the shamos or servant candle, said Lewis. It is used to light the other candles.The menorahs can be “anything,” she said. “The only thing they have to have is nine candleholders.” Hanukkah begins each year on Kislev 25. “It’s just total coincidence when it hits around the same time” as Christmas, said Lewis. The Jewish calendar is lunisolar — regulated by the positions of both the moon and sun.The festival also commemorates the Maccabean victories over the forces of King Antiochus. The Macabees were a priestly family from the vicinity of Jerusalem.Antiochus was trying to suppress Judaism and its law. “He decided that everybody was gonna have to bow down to him and worship the way he worshipped,” said Lewis. “He was really a very bad man.” The festival is “a time of lots of gaiety and lots of fun, but also a time for solemn thought because these people were bent on wiping out all of the Jews, Lewis said. “So, it’s a time of rejoicing and of great thanksgivingtSusan Lewis and her son, B.Z., light the candles on a menorah as they prepare for Hanakkuh, a time of rejoic ing and thanksgiving for Jewish families.
Newspaper Details
Big Spring Herald
Big Spring, Texas, US
Sun, Dec 08, 1985
Page 19
Full Page
Clipped by
Anonymous
TX, USA 03 Dec 2020
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