I would like to wish Happy Chanukah to all my Jewish constituents celebrating over the next eight days.
The festival known as Chanukah or Hanukkah begins on the evening of 18th December and continues until 26th December. Often called the Festival of Lights, the holiday is celebrated by the Jewish community with the lighting of the chanukia candleabra, family gatherings, and traditional foods.
It commemorates the rededication during the second century BC of the Second Temple in Jerusalem, after the Maccabean Revolt.
At this time, Judea was under the control the Greek-Syrian Seleucid Empire. King Antiochus IV outlawed the Jewish religion. His soldiers descended upon Jerusalem, massacring thousands of people and desecrating the city’s holy Second Temple.
A large-scale rebellion broke out and the Seleucids were driven out of Jerusalem. The leader of the revolt, Judah Maccabee, called on his followers to cleanse the Second Temple, rebuild its altar and light its menorah, the gold candelabrum whose seven branches were meant to be kept burning every night.
According to the Talmud, those who took part in the rededication of the Second Temple witnessed what they believed to be a miracle. Even though there was only enough oil to keep the menorah’s candles burning for a single day, the flames continued flickering for eight nights. This inspired a yearly eight-day festival that is celebrated today.
