Sisterhood Family

Chanukah always falls on the 25^th day of the Hebrew month of Kislev. This year, Chanukah starts at sunset on Sunday, December 6th, 2015 and ends at sunset on Monday, December 14th.

Chanukah celebrates two miracles. The first miracle is the second century BCE victory of a small, greatly out-numbered and out-armed band of Jews, known as the "Maccabees," over the mighty Greek army that occupied the Holy Land. The rebellion, led by Judah Maccabee, was in response to the Greek attempt to force a Hellenistic G-dless lifestyle on the Jewish inhabitants.

The second miracle is the lasting of a small vial of oil; it lasted for eight days instead of one. The kindling of a Menorah was an important component of the daily service in the Holy Temple. When the Maccabees liberated the Temple from the hands of the Greek invaders, they found only one small cruse of pure and undefiled olive oil fit for lighting the Menorah. There was only enough oil to light the Menorah for one day, and it would take eight days to produce new oil. Miraculously, the oil in the one small vial burned for eight days and nights until the new oil was prepared. We light the Menorah for eight nights to celebrate this miracle.

The basic elements of a kosher Menorah are eight holders for oil or candles and an additional oil holder or candle, set apart from the rest, for the shamash ("attendant" oil holder or candle.) We use the shamash to light the other oil holder(s) or candle(s). The oil cups or candles are placed in the Menorah from right to left.

One candle or oil holder is lit on the first night by the shamash. One additional candle or oil cup is added each night until the eighth night when all of the eight oil cups or candles (plus the shamash) are lit. The oil holders or candles are lit from left to right.

In a kosher Menorah, the eight candles or oil cups of the Menorah must be arranged in a straight, even line, not in a zigzag or with some of the eight lights higher than others. If it is an oil Menorah, the oil cups must hold enough oil to burn for the required time – at least 30 minutes on weeknights, and up to one-and-a-half hours on Friday. If it is a candle Menorah, the candles should be large enough to burn for the required time. The shamash – the "attendant" oil cup or candle that is used to kindle the other lights – sits separately a bit higher or lower than the other oil holders or candles, on the ninth branch of the Menorah. The shamash is not included in the nightly count.

Blessings for lighting the Menorah: Say all three blessings on the first night. The third blessing is only said on the first night.

1. Blessed are You, Lord our G-d, King of the universe, who has sanctified us with His commandments, and commanded us to kindle the Chanukah light.

2. Blessed are You, Lord our G-d, King of the universe, who performed miracles for our forefathers in those days, at this time.

3. Blessed are You, Lord our G-d, King of the universe, who has granted us life, sustained us, and enabled us to reach this occasion.

Because of the central role that oil played in the Chanukah miracle, it is customary to serve foods fried in oil. Jews of Eastern European (Ashkenazi) origin eat fried potato pancakes called latkes in Yiddish or levivot in Hebrew. (See recipe below.) Sephardic Jews eat different varieties of deep-fried donuts. Greek Jews call them loukomades, Persian Jews refer to them as zelebi, while in Israel jelly doughnuts are wildly popular and known as sufganiot.