Hanukkah: Re-dedicating ourselves to sacred solidarity

Contributed by the JVP Rabbinical Council

Mai Hanukkah – “What is Hanukkah?” asked the rabbis of the Talmud. In answer to their own rhetorical question, they chose not to tell the story of the Maccabean military victory over the Seleucid empire in 160 BCE. Rather, they offered the famous story of the rededication of the Temple and the miracle of the oil that burned for eight days. For the rabbis, the oil of the menorah symbolized hope and faith in the face of overwhelming odds, not the spoils of war. In our days, as we hope for and work towards an end to the genocide of Palestinians being committed by the Israeli military, we draw upon the spiritual resources of our rabbinic ancestors to guide us.

The rabbis deeply understood the dangers of glorifying violence, having seen the devastating effects of the Roman Empire’s response to the Bar Kochba revolt in 132 CE. They were also mindful that the independent Jewish commonwealth founded in the wake of the Maccabean victory centuries earlier – led by the priestly Hasmonean Dynasty – was corrupt and oppressive. It was not by coincidence that the same rabbis chose the famous line from Zechariah: Not by might and not by power but by My spirit says the Lord of Hosts to be the prophetic portion chanted on the Shabbat of Hanukkah. 

This inspiring sacred message of Hanukkah lasted centuries, until it was subverted and overturned by the Zionist movement. The Israeli state has transformed Hanukkah into a celebration of militarism forsaking the rabbinic miracle of the oil for a focus on violence. 

This recasting of the Hanukkah story had real life consequences: the ethnic cleansing of the Palestinian people by Zionist forces during the Nakba. This injustice can be followed in direct line to Israel’s genocide of the Palestinians in Gaza that has now lasted well over a year.

One of the most distorted examples of this misappropriation of Hanukkah is the sight of menorahs being lit amidst the rubble of Gaza by IDF soldiers. The Hanukkiah, a symbol of hope and divine presence, has been repurposed into an accoutrement to the guns, tanks and missiles of genocide; a perversion of the ethical core of Jewish tradition, which calls for the pursuit of justice and collective human dignity. 

Hanukkah invites us to use the flames of the Hanukkiah to inspire sacred solidarity. It challenges us to transcend the illusion of power inherent in the violence of empire and nation-statism, reminding us that true strength lies in our collective ability to resist imperial brutality. 

On this final night of Hanukkah, let us reclaim this sacred message of our festival of lights. Let us take action in defiance of Israeli and American militarism being employed to destroy the Palestinian people. 

Together, let us embrace a vision of Judaism rooted in justice, peace, and collective liberation.

Chag Hanukkah Sameach!