I read the following quote recently, from Karen Hesse, author of the children’s book, The Stone Lamp: Eight Stories of Hanukkah Through History. The quote goes as follows: ‘Sometimes a flame can be utterly extinguished. Sometimes, a flame can shrink and waver, but sometimes a flame refuses to go out. It flares up from the faintest ember to illuminate the darkness, to burn in spite of overwhelming odds.’ 

What are the odds that the darkest days in recent memory would fall amid Hanukkah? First there was a tragic series of shootings at Brown University. Then came the murder of Jews at Bondi Beach in Australia. They were there to celebrate the Festival of Lights, Hanukkah. They were you and me. They were us. What are the odds that these dark events would come during this holiday that revolves around warmth and light? 

Is it salvation? Is it a miracle? Is it providence that Hanukkah shows up right now, seemingly when we need it most? Is it somehow fate that, during this time when we feel so heavy, so defeated, Hanukkah comes to ignite our shared spirit? It is – after all – yet another story of Jews in the minority, refusing to go away, refusing to disappear and refusing to abandon their long-held ideology. 

Judah Maccabee, while no doubt a controversial figure, lived with courage and conviction. He and his army took back a desecrated temple and lit the light of Jewish heritage once more. It was a different time, yes. They lived in a different part of the world, yes. And yet their story is our story: choosing Jewish pride in the face of tyranny, holding onto Jewish identity while others would mock them, choosing to believe stubbornly in the light of Torah and tradition amid a time of vitriol and hate. They chose to live their Jewish lives while others preached divisiveness and bigotry.

This Friday night we will come together as a congregation to mark Hanukkah as a community. It will feel good to be united, surrounded by friends and familiar faces. We will sing the songs and eat the foods that help make Hanukkah so festive and fun. We will remind each other that light lives and Judaism continues to burn bright with meaning and inspiration. I hope you will consider joining us. 

I also wanted to point out, in closing, that the final night of Hanukkah this year will take place at the same time as the winter solstice. Indeed, on the night that marks the dawn of winter and the beginning of our coldest season, we will shine the brightest light. Jews around the world will mark the eighth and final night of Hanukkah, announcing once more our belief in miracles, in the Jewish story and in goodness itself. 

We are a resilient people. We have endured so much. Our eyes have taken in so much. It is not always easy to be a Jew. That’s for sure. This Hanukkah, let us thank God for the light in our lives. May we hold onto hope and faith in spite of everything. May we all remember to let our light shine bright in a world of darkness. And may we know greater peace soon.