CELEBRATIONS
Though an ancient celebration,
Hanukkah for some Jewish families
acquires new customs
BY CAMILLE S. YATES
PHOTOS BY ROB DOWNEY
For more than 2,000 years, kindling Hanukkah lights has
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been at the heart of a festival rejoicing the victory of the
light of freedom over the darkness of tyranny. After
Antiochus IV Epiphanes issued decrees in Judea forbidding
Jewish religious practice, a rural Jewish priest from Modiin,
Mattathias the Hasmonean, sparked the revolt against the
Seleucid empire by refusing to worship the Greek gods. In
168 B.C., the Jews defeated the Greek ruler.
Hanukkah celebrates the rededication of the Jewish temple
in Jerusalem after the successful Jewish revolt against the
Seleucid monarchy. During this time, the victorious Jews
found only enough ritually pure olive oil to light the menorah
for one day. Miraculously, the oil burned for eight days,
which was enough time to get new oil as well as finish
rebuilding the temple. As a result, the Hanukkah menorah
has not seven, but nine candle holders. The eight side
branches represent the eight-day celebration of the miracle of
oil, while the central branch, called the shamas, is used to
light the others. This year, Hanukkah falls between sunset on
Dec. 4 and nightfall Dec. 12.
Elliot Paul, of Stuart celebrates Hanukkah in the traditional
manner. “This festival has become popular because of the
younger generation’s response to Christmas.” Gift-giving for
some has become part of the holiday, he said, but “the only
traditional gift of the holiday is ‘gelt,’ small amounts of
money or even chocolate coins for our kids.”
Peggy Berg, of Fort Pierce, has witnessed a similar trend.
“Hanukkah was a minor
event, but in the last 50
years it has become more
prominent. Gift-giving is
not a traditional part of
the holiday, but has been
added in places where
Jews have a lot of contact
with Christians as a way
of dealing with our children's
envy of their
Christian friends. It is
extremely unusual for
Jews to give Hanukkah
gifts to anyone other than
their own young children.’’
Carol Kanarek has been
a major player in Vero
Beach’s Festival of Trees,
providing a display of
menorahs to educate non-
Jews about Hanukkah.
“When we started the Festival of Trees 10 years ago, many
people had not seen menorahs,” she said. “The Festival of
Trees benefits the Riverside Theatre, and we are so fortunate
to have a theater of this caliber here. When I asked our community
to donate their menorahs for display, they came out
of the woodwork.”
Kanarek said many people collect menorahs as works of
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The
Festival
of Lights