Santa and the Little Jewish Girl

By Marsha Smagley Twas the night before Xmas, (or maybe a week before), When all through the house, (that is. my best friend’s house), Not a child was stirring, not even a mouse… (Except for the little Jewish girl, that would be me) In hopes that.. (Santa) soon would be there! (That is until the [...]

R’ Moshe Schwerd – Chanukah: Shielding Our Children from Assimilation

Understand: …the strong relationship between Chanukah and Succos. …the different nature of Persumei Nissa (publicizing the miracle) on Chanukah …what the Greeks were claiming back then …what the non-Jewish nations want from us today …where we are failing in the battle against assimilation and how we can succeed …and more Download the mp3 – R’ [...]

Chanukah – Beyond the Facade

By Yered Viders Our homes are illuminated with the timeless Chanukah lights and the timeless message they convey. Looking at the lights, I wondered why the B’nei Binah (“Men of Insight”) — whom we acclaim in Ma’oz Tz’ur for establishing the Festival of Chanukah — selected such a mundane way of commemorating the historic miracle. [...]

Chanukah Then and Now

By Azriela Jaffe The Judaism of my youth was defined by what I was not able to do. Is that not what characterizes any observant Jew? I may not eat non-kosher food, as G-d commanded. I may not work on Shabbat, as G-d commanded. I may not eat on Yom Kippur – as G-d commanded. [...]

Continuing to Access the Power of Chanukah

We pasken like Beis Hillel and we increase the candles as Chanukah progresses indicating and increase in accessing the power of the holiday. R’ Yaakov Astor discusses this in Reality and Potential … Most people can experience the initial joy that comes along with lighting the menorah. By the second day, for many of us, [...]

Chanukah: Overcoming Our Greekness

By Rebbetzin Tziporah Heller Dear friends: Chanukah is here! When you think of the victory of light over the darkness that the ancient Greeks tried to spread, you can’t help but think of the world as it is today, sit by the light and know that there is light in the darkest times. Everything that [...]

The 60 Second Guide to Chanukah

The Battle of the Spiritual vs the Physical To understand any Jewish Holiday it is helpful to restate the foundation of Judaism, which is that there is a G-d, who is completely spiritual who created a world with physical and spiritual parts. Man is the only creation with both a spiritual side (the soul) and [...]

The Candles and the Tree

It was the December after my ninth birthday. A menorah rested on the bookshelf over the television console. Across the room, beside the fireplace, the lights of a tree twinkled red and green and blue. I was standing next to my mother as she held a candle in her hand. My father wasn’t there. He [...]

Chanukah: Torah and Play Do Go Together

By David Feiner One of the more interesting and different stories related to Chanukah are those surrounding Dreidels. According to many traditional accounts, the Dreidel was used as ruse to cover up the studying of Torah when Greek soldiers would come upon groups of children with their teachers. Rather than observing Torah study, they would [...]

Chanukah – the Prototypical Baal Teshuva Holiday

What’s the prototypical Baal Teshuva holiday? Perhaps it’s Rosh Hoshana with it’s new beginning. Or Yom Kippur with it’s focus on Teshuva. Or the unparalleled joy available us on Succos. Or the rediscovering of true freedom on Pesach. Or the celebration of our new found wisdom in Torah on Shavous. Or partying for the sake [...]

An Issue of Trust

An Excerpt from An Issue of Trust by Rabbi Noson Weisz Parshat Mikeitz overlaps this week with the celebration of Chanukah. Interestingly, it brings up an issue that defines the very essence of the holiday — bitachon, trust in God. … … … But the story of Chanukah illustrates a deeper concept of bitachon as [...]

Let Your Fingers Do the Mitzvos

Just Released in Time for Chanukah! by Bracha Goetz Published by Judaica Press, 2010 Let Your Fingers Do the Mitzvos is a new book for little children that is full of tremendous potential. It enables children to actually experience the joy of doing mitzvos while the book is being read. The two dimensional children in [...]

Are You a Closet Hellenist?

By Rebbetzin Tziporah Heller The Greeks centered their opposition to the Jews on three religious laws that one the surface of things couldn’t be less threatening to them or their way of life. Why would a Greek concern himself about someone else circumcising his son? If a neighbor likes having three rather lavish meals on [...]

Why We Needed an Open Miracle on Chanukah

I’ve been working on understanding the necessity of a miracle on Chanukah and I achieved a little clarity that I wanted to share. I want to thank my friend and teacher Moshe for spending some time to help me with this topic. Chanukah Brings Forth the Light of Man’s Connection to G-d through Torah In [...]

The Eight Neshamas Of Chanukah

There are countless Torah volumes dedicated to Chanukah, its deep meaning and ramifications. One question I have never seen addressed is the following: We know that Hashem runs the world through Midah Kneged Midah, (the way one acts is the way Hashem reacts). Why, then, was the consequence of the Yidden going out to battle [...]

Some Questions about Chanukah?

A few questions about Chanukah: Do most of your non-frum neighbors, friends and relatives light a Chanukah menorah? What does Chanukah mean to you? – Seeing the miracles in our lives. – The need to fight against persecution. – Understanding the limitations of a man centered society. What actions has Chanukah inspired you to take?

A Hellenist Left Standing

It was the twenty-fifth of December, And when she closes her eyes she remembers, Just how it was. A Jewish girl from Queens, Had fulfilled her secret dreams, Decorating that bright, forbidden tree. A Jewish girl from Queens, Had fulfilled her secret dreams. She helped hang tinsel merrily. Her boyfriend’s family, Was friendly as could [...]

Chanukah – G-d Fights Our Wars

By Rabbi B. Shafier Gemara Shabbos 21b: The miracle of the oil Why do we celebrate Chanukah? The Gemara tells us the reason that we celebrate Chanukah is that when the Yivanim entered the Bais HaMikdash, they defiled all the oil set aside for lighting the Menorah. When the Chashmonoim were victorious, they searched and [...]

Should We Distance Chanukah From Xmas?

Many families celebrate Chanukah with gift giving. Some people are concerned that this makes Chanukah look a lot like Xmas. Should we refrain from giving gifts to distance Chanukah from Xmas? Should we ask our relatives to eliminate or tone down the gift giving? Should we consider our children’s disappointment in a reduced gift-giving scenario? [...]

Kislev – Make a goal, (and we don’t mean the Guinness Book of World’s Record on eating latkes.)

Keshet – bow The Jewish astrological symbol for the month of Kislev, is the bow – from the bow and arrow. While this symbol has a number of implications, one of them is to focus on a goal. An archer must aim well for the bow to do its job. What are your goals? If [...]

Popular Posts

• Der Meistersingers of Athens
• Are You a Closet Hellenist?
• Chanukah: Celebrating the Liberation From American Hellenism
• Some Questions about Chanukah?
• The Candles and the Tree
• Of Wisdom… Secular and Sacred
• A Hellenist Left Standing
• Kislev – Make a goal, (and we don’t mean the Guinness Book of World’s Record on eating latkes.)