The Joy of Chanukah

Chanukah arrives this year at a moment when many are feeling the weight of darkness. Around the world, Jews are facing a rise in antisemitism. Since October 7, 2023 and throughout the war that followed, our community and others have carried grief, fear, anger, and exhaustion. And yet, right in the middle of the darkest weeks of the year, Judaism gives us a festival built entirely around light.

Chanukah is not only about resistance to tyrants. It is also about the upside of Judaism, the celebration, the joy, the music, the gathering of family and friends, and of course, latkes (pro tip: they are best served with apple sauce, second best served with sour cream, but should never be with ketchup). Judaism insists that even in difficult times, we carve out space for blessing. We kindle lights not because we’re celebrating a world where everything is perfect, but because joy itself is a Jewish response to hardship. We celebrate not because the world is simple, but because our tradition teaches us to seek meaning even in complexity. Light is a reminder that we are more than the pain of the moment.

This year, as we place candles in our windows, we do so with a mix of emotions. We remember that our people have faced dark nights before, and that our lights have always mattered. We remind ourselves that Judaism is not only about surviving threats; it is about building lives of holiness, purpose, and delight. It is about dreidels and gelt, latkes and sufganiyot, and people gathering together in a way that feels joyful, safe, and alive.

May these eight nights remind us not only of what we struggle against, but of what we are struggling for: to joyfully be Jewish.