Hanukkah, Jewish Power, and the Future of Israel Education

Dec 16, 2024 By Arnold M. Eisen | Public Event video | Video Lecture | Hanukkah

Every year at Hanukkah, Jews everywhere celebrate the Maccabees’ military uprising against oppression. But in our day, many younger American Jews are experiencing discomfort with some of the ways that Israel uses power to fight its enemies and defend its interests, which has led to decreased support and weakened connection to the State.    

How should education about Israel— and advocacy on behalf of Israel—change in coming years? What lessons should Jews take away from events on and off campus in the wake of October 7, 2023?

Holidays

By The Jewish Theological Seminary | Collected Resources | Hanukkah | Pesah | Purim | Rosh Hashanah | Shavuot | Shemini Atzeret | Simhat Torah | Sukkot | Tishah Be'av | Yom Hashoah | Yom Hazikaron-Yom Ha'atzma'ut | Yom Kippur

Explore these sources from scholars and students at JTS to enrich your holiday experience.

Joseph, Hanukkah, and the Dilemmas of Assimilation

Dec 23, 2022 By Arnold M. Eisen | Commentary | Miketz | Hanukkah

Ruminations about assimilation come naturally to Jews in North America during the winter holiday season. How much should a parent insist that Hanukkah is part of public school celebrations that give students a heavy dose of Christmas? How often should one remind store clerks who innocently ask Jewish children which gifts they hope to receive from Santa this year that there are other faiths observed in our communities, and other holidays? Intermarried couples are familiar with conversations about having a Christmas tree at home, or going to midnight mass, or allowing their kids to open gifts Christmas morning under the tree at their cousins’ home. The Hanukkah story is the perfect stimulus for such reflections, especially when read, as some historians do, not as a conflict between Jews and a tyrannical government, but as a dispute among Jews themselves over which Greek customs are acceptable and which cross the line to assimilation or apostasy.

JTS Dayenu Circle: Eight Days of Climate Torah

Dec 18, 2022

This year for Hanukkah, the JTS Dayenu Circle – The Jewish Theological Seminary’s chapter of Dayenu: A Jewish Call to Climate Action – is sharing Eight Days of Climate Torah. The Hanukkah story is a reminder that the Jewish community can take bold collective action to change our fate. We hope these teachings from JTS […]

In Every Age

By The Jewish Theological Seminary | Collected Resources | Hanukkah

The story of the military victory of the small band of Maccabee fighters over the Assyrian army is reflected through the prisms of rabbinic learning and contemporary commentary to create a modern understanding of the holiday

The December Dilemma

By The Jewish Theological Seminary | Collected Resources | Hanukkah

Despite its status as a minor festival, the celebration of Hanukkah is elevated in the United States, partially due to its proximity to Christmas. These resources focus on the seasonal challenges of fitting in and the pressure to compete with the excitement of “the most wonderful time of the year.”

Music of the Season

By The Jewish Theological Seminary | Collected Resources | Hanukkah

Enjoy these ruminations and musical meditations from JTS faculty and students.

The Laws of Hanukkah

By The Jewish Theological Seminary | Collected Resources | Hanukkah

Celebrating Hanukkah means publicizing the miracle–these JTS sources offer guidance in fulfilling the halakha for this holiday.