By: Joseph Harvie , Staff Writer
Local rabbis spread the light.
Family, community, reaffirming one's Jewish identity and the miracle of life — these are some of the messages local rabbis associate with Hanukkah, the Jewish Festival of Lights.
The holiday celebrates the Jews' military victories in 168-165 B.C. against King Antiochus. The king had tried to force the Jews to worship Greco-Syrian gods, persecuted the Jews and made them sacrifice pigs, a nonkosher animal, on the temple altar. His soldiers also had attempted to stop Jewish worship by opening and defiling olive oil kept pure for use in lighting the temple menorah, which is supposed to burn all night every night.
The Jews were victorious militarily, but when they went to rededicate their temple there was only enough oil left to burn the menorah for one day. However, the oil lasted for eight days — enough time to cleanse and dedicate the temple and prepare a fresh supply of oil for the menorah.
Hanukkah is a time for Jewish people to thank God for their lives and to rededicate themselves to their faith, according to local rabbis.
Over the years Hanukkah, like Christmas, has become more commercial. Some argue it has been commercialized because of its proximity to Christmas and the exchange of gifts during the holiday.
Rabbi David Eligberg of Congregation B'nai Tikvah on Finnegans Lane said that the commercialization may make people more aware of the holiday, but does not necessarily get them involved in their faith.
"It is a real challenge for anybody who's suffused with the religious message of any holiday celebrated now," Rabbi Eligberg said. "Whether it is Christmas, Hanukkah or Kwanzaa — I don't know enough about this one to know if it is severely impacted by the commercialization, but if it hasn't, it will be in the future. It is a real challenge to preserve the true message of the religious significance of the holiday."
Reaffirming one's Jewish identity is an important part of Hanukkah, Rabbi Eligberg said. He said reaffirming one's identity cannot be done as a community alone, but each of its members has to reaffirm his or her identity in order for the community to do the same.
"You don't have Jewish identity in a vacuum," Rabbi Eligberg said. "It is created initially in the home, by the myriad of activities that go on throughout the year that help shape Jewish identity. That is then brought to the community and that helps shape identity of the community, and at the same time helps reinforce the identity of each member of the community."
Rabbi Mendy Carlebach of Chabad House of North and South Brunswick said the commercialization of the holiday has increased its popularity and has helped to get more Jews involved in their faith.
"People are more interested in Hanukkah, sadly because it has become more commercialized," Rabbi Carlebach said. "That doesn't take away from the positive characteristics or good actions associated with the holiday. The more people know about the holiday, the better. Because that is the idea, to spread the word and spread the light."
Rabbi Carlebach said that as more people celebrate the holiday, more people will become involved in their faith and hear the word of God, one of the spiritual messages of Hanukkah.
"What we are celebrating is that we are bringing light into the world in a time of darkness," Rabbi Carlebach said. "These days are the shortest days and by bringing more light into the world each night we make it a brighter life.
"The first evening one candle is lit, and as the days go on you light an additional one every day. The lesson is that we are always increasing in goodness and light and spirituality."
Family gatherings and community events surrounding Hanukkah are also ways to strengthen the holiday's message, Rabbi Carlebach said.
"We always recount the story of Hanukkah and what we are celebrating," Rabbi Carlebach said. "Not only is it the significance of its history but also the significance of daily life. What each one of us has is a light or a spark of godliness. We all have the same spark of spirituality and godliness and together we make it into a flame."
Rabbi Levi Azimov of the Chabad Jewish Center of South Brunswick said Hanukkah is a time for Jews to thank God not only for the past but for the present and future.
"We always have to thank God for miracles he has done in past and connecting it to every day," Rabbi Azimov said. "He gives us life and a roof over our heads, he gives us happiness. One of our main customs is to be thankful and say thanks to God in morning prayers."
Rabbi Azimov said Hanukkah events provide a chance for the Jewish community to come together and share in the message of Hanukkah message and to thank God together.
For the past four years Chabad Jewish Center of South Brunswick's Hanukkah on Ice event, which was held Monday at Princeton Sports Center on Cornwall Road in Monmouth Junction. At the event people ice skated to Jewish music and sang songs as an ice sculptor carved out a menorah.
"Whatever we do, we are celebrating the holiday and thanking God and eating special foods and getting together," Rabbi Azimov said. "That is one of the wonderful things. At Hanukkah on Ice there were over a few hundred people there celebrating together and thanking God."
©PACKETONLINE News Classifieds Entertainment Business - Princeton and Central New Jersey 2006
Local rabbis spread the light.
Family, community, reaffirming one's Jewish identity and the miracle of life — these are some of the messages local rabbis associate with Hanukkah, the Jewish Festival of Lights.
The holiday celebrates the Jews' military victories in 168-165 B.C. against King Antiochus. The king had tried to force the Jews to worship Greco-Syrian gods, persecuted the Jews and made them sacrifice pigs, a nonkosher animal, on the temple altar. His soldiers also had attempted to stop Jewish worship by opening and defiling olive oil kept pure for use in lighting the temple menorah, which is supposed to burn all night every night.
The Jews were victorious militarily, but when they went to rededicate their temple there was only enough oil left to burn the menorah for one day. However, the oil lasted for eight days — enough time to cleanse and dedicate the temple and prepare a fresh supply of oil for the menorah.
Hanukkah is a time for Jewish people to thank God for their lives and to rededicate themselves to their faith, according to local rabbis.
Over the years Hanukkah, like Christmas, has become more commercial. Some argue it has been commercialized because of its proximity to Christmas and the exchange of gifts during the holiday.
Rabbi David Eligberg of Congregation B'nai Tikvah on Finnegans Lane said that the commercialization may make people more aware of the holiday, but does not necessarily get them involved in their faith.
"It is a real challenge for anybody who's suffused with the religious message of any holiday celebrated now," Rabbi Eligberg said. "Whether it is Christmas, Hanukkah or Kwanzaa — I don't know enough about this one to know if it is severely impacted by the commercialization, but if it hasn't, it will be in the future. It is a real challenge to preserve the true message of the religious significance of the holiday."
Reaffirming one's Jewish identity is an important part of Hanukkah, Rabbi Eligberg said. He said reaffirming one's identity cannot be done as a community alone, but each of its members has to reaffirm his or her identity in order for the community to do the same.
"You don't have Jewish identity in a vacuum," Rabbi Eligberg said. "It is created initially in the home, by the myriad of activities that go on throughout the year that help shape Jewish identity. That is then brought to the community and that helps shape identity of the community, and at the same time helps reinforce the identity of each member of the community."
Rabbi Mendy Carlebach of Chabad House of North and South Brunswick said the commercialization of the holiday has increased its popularity and has helped to get more Jews involved in their faith.
"People are more interested in Hanukkah, sadly because it has become more commercialized," Rabbi Carlebach said. "That doesn't take away from the positive characteristics or good actions associated with the holiday. The more people know about the holiday, the better. Because that is the idea, to spread the word and spread the light."
Rabbi Carlebach said that as more people celebrate the holiday, more people will become involved in their faith and hear the word of God, one of the spiritual messages of Hanukkah.
"What we are celebrating is that we are bringing light into the world in a time of darkness," Rabbi Carlebach said. "These days are the shortest days and by bringing more light into the world each night we make it a brighter life.
"The first evening one candle is lit, and as the days go on you light an additional one every day. The lesson is that we are always increasing in goodness and light and spirituality."
Family gatherings and community events surrounding Hanukkah are also ways to strengthen the holiday's message, Rabbi Carlebach said.
"We always recount the story of Hanukkah and what we are celebrating," Rabbi Carlebach said. "Not only is it the significance of its history but also the significance of daily life. What each one of us has is a light or a spark of godliness. We all have the same spark of spirituality and godliness and together we make it into a flame."
Rabbi Levi Azimov of the Chabad Jewish Center of South Brunswick said Hanukkah is a time for Jews to thank God not only for the past but for the present and future.
"We always have to thank God for miracles he has done in past and connecting it to every day," Rabbi Azimov said. "He gives us life and a roof over our heads, he gives us happiness. One of our main customs is to be thankful and say thanks to God in morning prayers."
Rabbi Azimov said Hanukkah events provide a chance for the Jewish community to come together and share in the message of Hanukkah message and to thank God together.
For the past four years Chabad Jewish Center of South Brunswick's Hanukkah on Ice event, which was held Monday at Princeton Sports Center on Cornwall Road in Monmouth Junction. At the event people ice skated to Jewish music and sang songs as an ice sculptor carved out a menorah.
"Whatever we do, we are celebrating the holiday and thanking God and eating special foods and getting together," Rabbi Azimov said. "That is one of the wonderful things. At Hanukkah on Ice there were over a few hundred people there celebrating together and thanking God."
©PACKETONLINE News Classifieds Entertainment Business - Princeton and Central New Jersey 2006
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