Hanukah

Hanukah is a Jewish festival also known as the festival of lights. According to Jewish tradition, in 164BC the Maccabees recaptured Jerusalem from the occupying Greeks. When they came to rededicate the Temple, they had only enough sacred oil to light the menorah for one day but the candles miraculously stayed alight for eight days.

Who celebrates?

People of the Jewish faith around the world.

How do people celebrate?

• Family and friends gather to celebrate and Synagogues organise events
• The game of dreidel is often played around Hanukah
• Traditional foods eaten at Hanukah include latkes and donuts
• At sunset each night a candle of the Hanukkiah is lit.

What should I know?

• Not all Jewish people will celebrate Hanukah as it’s not one of the biggest holidays in the Jewish calendar
• The symbol of Hanukah is the Hanukkiah which is an 8 branched candlestick
• In the 2011 census 271,259 people identified as Jewish in the UK.

How can I support others?

• Make some potato latkes to share with people celebrating Hanukah
• Use the opportunity to learn about the Jewish faith and culture using the additional resources
• Be considerate of your Jewish people who may want to be at home for sunset during this time
• Don’t assume that because someone is Jewish they are religious
• Talk to your team about the Jewish representation among your volunteer, employee and service user population and if it’s representative of your area.

Potato latke receipt: https://cooking.nytimes.com/recipes/1015533-classic-potato-latkes

How to play dreidel: https://www.myjewishlearning.com/article/how-to-play-dreidel/

HarvardX Judaism in brief: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2sOzmBAaCHA

CNN: Questions answered: https://edition.cnn.com/2019/12/22/us/hanukkah-questions-answered-trnd/index.html