Hanukkah
focuses on family
By Sonya Smith
On-line Forty-Niner
The
celebration of Hanukkah recently ended,
however each believer got something different
out of the holiday.
Director of the Multicultural Center and
professor, James Manseau-Sauceda explained
that there is “a lot more there than a simple,
happy Hanukkah.”
He said that Hanukkah each year brings a
different sense of uniting Jewish traditions
with each new generation.
Fourth year religious studies major, Yasmin
Gurba explained the deeper meaning behind
Hanukkah. She explained, the story is of
the Maccabees, the Jewish people that were
religiously persecuted by the Syrians who
wanted to destroy their religion of Judaism,
said Gurba.
The Maccabees, despite the attempts by the
Syrians, managed to maintain their religion,
narrated Gurba. The Maccabees then needed
to rededicate the temple so they made their
own menorah, the Syrians had taken theirs,
and they only had a small flask of oil to
light the menorah, said Gurba.
“By a miracle the light lasted for eight
days,” Gurba said.
She said that this story means so much to
her because of the perseverance and strength
the Maccabees had.
As a recent convert to Judaism, Gurda said
of why she enjoys her religion, “It is just
the beauty and truth in it.”
Gurda explained that every night during
Hanukkah, another candle is lit on the menorah
as blessings are said. The traditional gift
to give and receive is the geld, chocolate
wrapped as gold coins, explained Gurda.
The traditional foods that the Jewish have
contain oil, symbolic of the menorah, such
as jelly filled doughnuts and latkes, which
are fried potato pancakes, said Gurda.
Gurda also explained the reasoning behind
the dreidel game in which children play
for geld. When the Jewish were not able
to practice their religion, they taught
their children Hebrew through the letters
of the Hebrew alphabet written on the dreidel.
Fourth year creative writing major, Catherine
Burns, comes from a different perspective
on Hanukkah and her religion as she has
been raised as a Jew.
“For my family it is just as much about
the culture and traditions as it is about
the religion,” Burns said.
She explained that for Hanukkah her mom
has a celebration of Hanukkah to which friends
and family come in order to celebrate the
holiday.
“It is the one time of year when I make
it down there to see everybody,” Burns said.
Burns also described their tradition of
lighting the menorah, “the youngest kids
light the menorah and they love it.” She
reflected that she enjoys the family and
cultural traditions behind Hanukkah even
more than the holiday.
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