52 results for tag: Chanukah

Hanukkah 5775 – Night 7 Re-Dedication Meditation

by Rabbi Katy Z. Allen On this penultimate night of Hanukkah, we light seven candles, we continue the “Litany of Harm” and the “Call to Action,” and we consider a seventh way to strengthen our resolve to change the world in positive ways. Hanukkah Night 7: The Litany of Harm: For all those in island nations, where rising sea levels and superstorms threaten their very existence. We stand in witness! For all coastal cities and villages, where storm swells and flooding put lives and homes at risk. We stand in witness! For all those who suffer from tropical diseases, and those at risk from spreading diseases and heat waves. We ...

Hanukkah 5775 – Night 6 Re-Dedication Meditation

by Rabbi Katy Z. Allen Tonight we light six candles, the lights in our home grow ever brighter, but as we add to the “Litany of Harm,” we know that there is darkness in many corners of the world, and so we add also to our “Call to Action,” and consider a sixth way to move our lives forward in a way that adds light to the world. Hanukkah Night 6: The Litany of Harm: For all those in island nations, where rising sea levels and superstorms threaten their very existence. We stand in witness! For all coastal cities and villages, where storm swells and flooding put lives and homes at risk. We stand in witness! For all those who ...

Hanukkah 5775 – Night 4 Re-Dedication Meditation

by Rabbi Katy Z. Allen On this fourth night, half way through Hanukkah, we light four candles, continue the “Litany of Harm” and the “Call to Action,” and consider a fourth way to move our lives forward in a way that adds goodness to the world. Hanukkah Night 4: The Litany of Harm: For all those in island nations, where rising sea levels and superstorms threaten their very existence. We stand in witness! For all coastal cities and villages, where storm swells and flooding put lives and homes at risk. We stand in witness! For all those who suffer from tropical diseases, and those at risk from spreading diseases and heat ...

Hanukkah 5775 – Night 3 Re-Dedication Meditation

by Rabbi Katy Z. Allen On this third night of Hanukkah, we light three candles and continue to add to the “Litany of Harm” and the “Call to Action,” and we provide a third action to our personal list of ways in which to increase the sanctity of our lives and the lives of those around us. Hanukkah Night 3: We continue the Litany of Harm: For all those in island nations, where rising sea levels and superstorms threaten their very existence. We stand in witness! For all coastal cities and villages, where storm swells and flooding put lives and homes at risk. We stand in witness! For all those who suffer from tropical diseases, ...

Hanukkah 5775 – Night 2 Re-Dedication Meditation

by Rabbi Katy Z. Allen On this second night of Hanukkah, we continue to increase in holiness by lighting two candles and by adding to the “Litany of Harm” and the “Call to Action,” and by adding a new action to our personal list of ways in which to re-dedicate ourselves. (See Night 1 for a full introduction.) Hanukkah Night 2: We continue the Litany of Harm: For all those in island nations, where rising sea levels and superstorms threaten their very existence. We stand in witness! For all coastal cities and villages, where storm swells and flooding put lives and homes at risk. We stand in witness! For all those who suffer ...

Hanukkah 5775 – Night 1 Re-Dedication Meditation

by Rabbi Katy Z. Allen Why don’t we light eight candles on the first night of Hanukkah, and work our way down to one? Why do we start with one candle and work our way up to eight? So familiar are we with our traditional way of lighting the candles and increasing the light, that imagining doing it the opposite way is almost impossible. Reduce the amount of light each night? No way! Yet, in ancient times this custom seems to have been practiced. In the Talmud, the School of Shammai said, “On the first day eight lights are lit and thereafter they are gradually reduced,” but the School of Hillel said, no, no, no! “On the first day ...

Shammai, Shmita and Hanukkah

  As we head into winter, the light changes and creates changes inside of us. Dusk descends upon the Earth earlier and dawn arrives later.  An evening walk takes us through luminous pockets of blue, white, red and green. For some, winter light brings a melancholy and longing for bright summer sunlight. For others, the candles and iridescent colored bulbs bring excitement and nostalgia.   It is with this consciousness of light and its effects on the human condition that the Jewish people observe Hanukkah, the Festival of Lights.   During Hanukkah, we commemorate the triumph of the Maccabees over the Greeks in the 2nd century BCE. ...

Could Not Have Put It Better Myself…So I Didn’t Try

I spent several hours trying to find inspiration for this month's post.  I found myself delving into articles about tax credits for renewable energy, news articles related to climate change and religious leadership, and various activities related to Chanukah.  My hope was to create an action list for the eight days of Cbanukah.  During this process I came across an article posted by Rabbi Waskow that spoke to me and so I am re-posting below (with the referencing link) and encouraging everyone to commit to the changes outlined below, or to come up with your own.  This can include a variety of commitments, including ideas on recycling, energy ...

Vegetarian Connections to Chanukah

by Daniel Brook, Ph.D. & Richard H. Schwartz, Ph.D. [A longer version of this article can be found in the holidays’ section at www.JewishVeg.com/Schwartz] Chanukah commemorates the single small container of pure olive oil — expected to be enough for only one day — which, according to the Talmud (Shabbat 21b), miraculously lasted for eight days in the rededicated Temple. A switch to vegetarianism would be using our wisdom and compassion to help inspire another great miracle: the end of the tragedy of world hunger, therefore ensuring the survival of tens of millions of people annually. Currently, from one-third to one-half of the ...

Greening Hanukkah

Hanukkah is a time where we celebrate the renewal of the eternal flame and rededication of the Temple.  It is a great time to rededicate ourselves to the goal of preserving God’s creation, conserving energy and helping the environment.  Here are a few things you can do leading up to, and during, the holiday to rededicate yourself to making the world more eco-friendly.   GO GREEN IN YOUR HANUKKAH GIFTING:     Give Alternatives to “Stuff”:  Consider giving gifts that do not create waste.  Give a museum membership, tickets to a play or a certificate to a local restaurant. Buy Gifts at Fair trade stores:  One ...

Uplifting People and Planet

Exciting news! Just in time for Tu b’Shevat, Canfei Nesharim and Jewcology are proud to announce the launch of a new ebook exploring traditional Jewish teachings on the environment, Uplifting People and Planet: Eighteen Essential Jewish Lessons on the Environment, edited by Rabbi Yonatan Neril and Evonne Marzouk. This ebook is the most comprehensive study in English of how Jewish traditional sources teach us to protect our natural resources and preserve the environment. From food to trees, energy to water, wealth to biodiversity, the book studies eighteen topics where Jewish tradition has a relevant lesson for today's environme...

Thanksgivukah: Giving Thanks for Miracles

Dan Brook & Richard H. Schwartz For the first time since 1888 and then not again for about 78,000 years (!), Chanukah and American Thanksgiving coincide this year on Thursday, November 28. Some are calling it Thanksgivukah. Some are calling it another miracle! It’s a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. Hope springs eternal. Indeed, it's always been an integral part of Jewish and American history, spirituality, and politics. Without hope, there wouldn’t be a Chanukah; without hope, there might not even be a Jewish community; without hope, there might not be democracy or America. That’s the power of radical hope! ...

The Sacred Green Menorah: Deeper Meanings of Hanukkah & Earth

On Shabbat Hanukkah (this year, Nov. 29-30), we read an extraordinary passage from the Prophet Zechariah. Speaking during the Babylonian Captivity, he envisions the future Great Menorah, taking its sacred place in a rebuilt Holy Temple. Zechariah, in visionary, prophetic style, goes beyond the Torah’s description of the original Menorah (literally, a Light-bearer). That Menorah was planned as part of the portable Shrine, the Mishkan, in the Wilderness. First Zechariah describes the Menorah of the future that he sees: “All of gold, with a bowl on its top, seven lamps, and seven pipes leading to the seven lamps.” It sounds ...

Chanukah and Vegetarianism

Jews can enhance their celebrations of the beautiful and spiritually meaningful holiday of Chanukah by making it a time to begin striving even harder to live up to Judaism's highest moral values and teachings by moving toward a vegetarian diet. Here are eight reasons, one for each night of Chanukah: 1. Chanukah represents the triumph of non-conformity. The Maccabees stuck to their inner beliefs, rather than conforming to external pressure. They were willing to say: This I believe, this I stand for, this I am willing to struggle for. Today, vegetarians represent non-conformity. At a time when most people in the wealthier countries think of animal ...

Greening Hanukkah

Hanukkah is a time where we celebrate the renewal of the eternal flame and rededication of the Temple. It is a great time to rededicate ourselves to the goal of preserving God's creation, conserving energy and helping the environment. Here are a few things you can do leading up to, and during, the holiday to rededicate yourself to making the world more eco-friendly. Leading up to the holiday: Buy gifts with a low carbon footprint--local stores that sell vintage, locally made or locally grown products are a great place to find these Consider offering a gift of time or one that fosters creativity--take your kids to the ...

The Tevet Solstice: Interfaith Understanding and the Holiday Season

Post by Jewish Farm School Rabbinic Intern, Josh Boydstun - Reposted from Jewish Farmer's Almanac As Chanukah draws to a close, we enter the month of Tevet (December 13, 2012-January 11, 2013). For many American Jews, this is a challenging time of the year. Christmas may seem ubiquitous, whether framed as a specifically Christian holy day or as a secular, commercial, all-American holiday. While some American Jews celebrate Christmas with relatives, others feel deeply alienated and alone. For many of us, December is the month when our difference and minority status are most pronounced. However, American Jews are not the first to have ...

Celebrating Miracles: A Chanukah Message

Celebrating Miracles: A Chanukah Message Daniel Brook, Ph.D. & Richard H. Schwartz, Ph.D. [A longer version of this article can be found in the holidays’ section at JewishVeg.com/schwartz] Chanukah commemorates the single small container of pure olive oil — expected to be enough for only one day — which, according to the Talmud (Shabbat 21b), miraculously lasted for eight days in the rededicated Temple. A switch to vegetarianism would be using our wisdom and compassion to help inspire another great miracle: the end of the tragedy of world hunger, therefore ensuring the survival of tens of millions of people annually. Currently, from ...

Green Gifting (for Hanukkah)

In a prior Planet Jewish blog we provided you with suggestions for making your Hanukkah celebration more eco-friendly. In the spirit of reducing waste (baal tashchit) and tilling and tending planet Earth for generations to come, here are some specific suggestions for green gifting over the eight nights of the holiday. Give Alternatives to “Stuff”: Consider giving gifts that do not create waste. Give a museum membership, tickets to a play or a certificate to a local restaurant. Buy Gifts at Fair Trade stores: One way to show that you care about the environment is to purchase gifts at fair trade stores. Items ...

Connections Between Chanukah and Vegetarianism

Chanukah and Vegetarianism While few people associate Chanukah with vegetarianism, there are many connections between plant-based diets and the Festival of Lights: Richard H. Schwartz, Ph.D. 1. According to the Book of Maccabees, some Maccabees lived on plant foods to "avoid being polluted like the rest" by eating non-kosher foods, when they hid in the mountains to avoid capture. 2. The foods associated with Channukah, latkes (potato pancakes) and sufganiyot (fried donuts) are vegetarian foods, and the oils that are used in their preparation are a reminder of the oil used in the lighting of the Menorah in the rededication of the ...

MIRACULOUSLY STRETCHING THE OIL: CHANUKAH AND VEGETARIANISM

The Jewish festival of Chanukah commemorates the miracle of the oil that was enough for only one day, but miraculously lasted for eight days in the liberated Temple in Jerusalem. Hence, this holiday is a good time to consider our own use of fuel and other resources. Like Chanukah’s miraculous extension of scarce resources, vegetarianism also allows the increasingly scarce resources of our contemporary world to go much further. This is no trivial matter, since it is expected that many future conflicts between nations will involve scarcities of oil, water and other resources. Seeing that the Hebrew words for bread (lechem) and war (milchamah) come ...