What is Hanukkah and how is it celebrated? |
Last night, two gunmen fired on a crowd of more than 1,000 Australian Jews at Bondi Beach, who had gathered to celebrate the first night of the Jewish festival Hanukkah (also spelled Chanukah). Fifteen civilians were killed and dozens more injured. For many Australians, the significance of this attack’s timing may not be fully understood – like Hanukkah itself.
Hanukkah is a festival built around the act of kindling light in public, as a declaration that Jewish life will endure despite attempts to extinguish it.
Often referred to as the Festival of Lights, it recalls a moment in history, almost 2,000 years ago, when Jews were targeted for their Jewish practices and identity.
It celebrates the brief period in which they managed to overcome attempts to suppress their faith and culture, rededicating the Jewish Temple in Jerusalem, which had been desecrated, and restoring a measure of Jewish leadership and autonomy in the land of Israel.
Today, Hanukkah is one of the most widely celebrated Jewish festivals around the world. Its proximity to Christmas led American Jews in the 20th century to elevate it as a major Jewish holiday.
Hanukkah takes place from the 25th of Kislev till the 2nd or 3rd day of