I wanted to start my Times of Israel Blog for Hanukah with a song written by our former Cantor Natalie Young, “Be the Light.” It expresses hope and resilience and advises us to bring our own light out into the world. It’s also a theme that I write about in this Times of Israel Blog, “What can Jews & the World Learn from Hanukah? In these dark times, we all need to be and see more light. Amen.

Festival of Lights and Resilience

After the past eight days, Hanukah 2025 has ended. As usual, there were celebrations throughout the world. I couldn’t resist posting the picture above from Raykjavik, Iceland.

What lessons remain? As Jews, many of us feel we need another miracle — I certainly do. Hanukah is the “Festival of Lights,” reminding us that spiritual illumination should brighten not only our lives but the world around us. We all could use more light in our lives, guiding us toward a more enlightened path.

Hanukah tells of Jewish resilience: the Maccabees’ victory over the Seleucid (Syrian Greek) armies in 164 BCE and the rededication of the desecrated Temple in Jerusalem. The word Hanukah itself means dedication. The miracle of the menorah — one jar of pure oil lasting eight days — symbolizes faith, resilience, and the power of light to overcome darkness.

We use our Hanukiahs (menorahs lit for Hanukah) and light a candle for each night of the eight days.

Tradition teaches that the menorah’s lights are not for practical use — but for contemplation.  They symbolize holiness and divine presence, much like Shabbat invites us to pause from ordinary work and reflect on our inner lives, our families, and the world around us.

Lessons from History

When reviewing Jewish history, ancient and recent, it’s hard to keep up with the numerous mass murders.

The destruction of the Second Temple in 70 CE by the Romans marked another defining trauma. Romans had razed most of Jerusalem, murdered and enslaved tens of thousands of Jews, imposed high taxes and diverted profits from trade to Elites and Rome, and paraded sacred treasures, leaving many Jews impoverished.

Does this history sound familiar? Too often it feels like the same tragedy, repeated in a different century. It should be a cautionary tale for the Elites and politicians.

Judaism transformed into Rabbinic Judaism, emphasizing Torah study, prayer, and acts of kindness — a profound shift away from sacrifices toward spiritual practice.

The First Temple, built around 957 BCE by King Solomon, was destroyed in 586 BCE by the Babylonians under Nebuchadnezzar II. Many Jews from the Kingdom of Judah were forcibly deported to Babylon. It’s another chapter in the suffering Jewish lexicon. The Babylonian Exile helped shape Jewish identity and scripture.

The Talmud........

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