Chanukah with Chabad of Sussex County

Sussex County — This year, Chanukah will begin on Friday, Dec. 15, and Chabad of Sussex County has planned an array of programs. A Little History One would have thought that the Jewish people and the ancient Greeks would get along. After all, they had so much in common. Both valued wisdom and beauty. The Greek philosophers acknowledged a single, great Mind behind all the cosmos, similar to Jewish monotheism. Well, they did manage, somewhat. The Jews tolerated Greek rule from the time of Alexander of Macedonia. Many Jews studied Aristotle and Plato and King Ptolemy had the Jewish Torah translated into Greek. But when King Antiochus attempted to force Hellenism down their throats, the Jews rebelled. There were many acts of courage, but the Maccabees believed their victory came from Above. Eventually, they received a sign that it was so: when they took back Jerusalem and the Temple, they searched and found a single flask of undefiled olive oil - just what was needed to light the Temple Menorah. Although the flask held only enough for a single day, it miraculously burned for eight full days, providing just enough time to prepare new oil. To the Jewish people, this was a nod from Above, that, yes, the One G-d of Israel was with us all along. What is a Miracle? Ordinarily, the routine of our day-to-day existence suggests that life is predictable, that events take place according to a natural order, a chain of cause and effect. We may not readily recognize that even natural phenomena are, in essence, evidence of the miraculous hand of G-d—until our hearts are stirred by a beautiful sunset, or a glimpse of wildflowers in bloom. But there is another sort of miracle; an event so striking, so far beyond rational explanation, that we cannot help but recognize it as miraculous. This is the kind of miracle that Chanukah calls to mind. When one day’s supply of oil lasts eight full days, we sit up and take notice. When an ill-equipped handful of Maccabees succeed in vanquishing all the assembled forces of a mighty Imperial oppressor, we realize that nothing is impossible for G-d. Sit up and take notice. Light Up Your World Night has fallen, darkness creeps in. But you stand poised to strike back, your tools of light set out before you: eight candles, a lit shamash candle in your hand and the official blessings about to ring from your mouth. Do it at the front window. Or at the doorway. Somewhere where your light will be seen and make a difference. You missed a day? Nobody told you it was Chanukah already? Don’t despair. As long as it’s still Chanukah, it’s night time and someone is still up, it’s time to light up the dark. Get all your family there. Have the kids light their own menorahs. And if it’s Friday afternoon, have all the ladies and girls light their Shabbat candles. You’re on your own? All the more reason to bring in more light. First say the blessings, then start lighting. On the first day, light one candle—the one on the extreme right. On the second day, add a candle to the left of yesterday’s candle and light the new one first. On the third day—you get the pattern: Add from right to left, light from left to right. Once you’re done, place the shamash higher or lower than the rest. Then say or sing the “Hanairot Hallalu.” How about Friday afternoon? Once the sun begins to set on Friday, we don’t light a fire or even move or prepare the menorah until nightfall on Saturday. So we light the menorah on Friday before lighting the Shabbat candles. And we make sure to use candles that will burn until nightfall and then another half an hour. On Saturday, we don’t touch that menorah until it’s dark outside. Make sure your menorah is kosher. The main rules you need to know are: all eight candles should be in a row on the same level and the shamash should be higher or lower than the rest. The ideal menorah uses olive oil, just like the original menorah. Lighten Up Your Kids It’s called Chanukah Gelt. The kids line up and you give them each a few coins. Parents do it, teachers too. And nowadays, they have us doing this for eight days straight! Once you get to the last day, teach your kids how to give ten percent of their cash holdings to a good cause. Then take them to a quality toy store and guide them in investing in lasting, meaningful acquisitions. Who knows, they might even let you play with them! How To Play Dreidel When King Antiochus prohibited the study of Torah, Jews were forced to teach in secret. If one of Antiochus’ soldiers would be heard to approach, they would quickly hide their scrolls and take out their dreidels, pretending that all along they were simply gambling. Fortunately, we don’t need to hide and we can use nuts, raisins or Cheerios instead of cash. On the sides of the dreidel are four Hebrew letters: Nun, Gimmel, Hay, Shin. These stand for the Hebrew words, “Ness Gadol Haya Sham.” That means, “A great miracle happened there.” Everyone contributes equally to the kitty. Take turns spinning the dreidel. If the kitty empties out, everyone contributes equally once again. If it lands on: Nun—do nothing; Gimmel—take the whole kitty; Hay—take half the kitty; Shin—pay into the kitty. Lighten Up Your Friends Do a latke party with a dreidel gaming room and a menorah lighting ritual. It’s ethnic, it’s hip and it’s a great way to celebrate our holiday during a season filled with other holiday cultures. Community Celebrations A public menorah lighting, will be held outside Sparta Plaza at 3 p.m. on Sunday, Dec. 17. Local dignitaries will attend the event and partake in the lighting of the Menorah. Following the Menorah lighting, everyone is invited to join us for two hours of unlimited bowling, complete with Chanukah music and refreshments. There will be a $15 charge per person and advanced registration is requested. Two cars displaying menorahs on their roofs will drive through the streets of Sussex County this Chanukah. Take a look how many lights are burning and feel free to honk the horn or wave. Contact Chabad to recommend someone who would appreciate a Chanukah visit, complete with latkes, gelt, menorahs and smiling faces. Contact our office to receive a free copy of our magazine, “The Jewish Spark,” which is full of articles pertaining to Chanukah and Jewish life. A complete Web site filled with almost any information about Chanukah can be found by visiting www.jewishsussexcounty.com and clicking on to the Chanukah feed. We can be reached at Chabad@jewishsussexcounty.com or at 973-726-3333.