Bringing Chanukah Values Into the New Year
As we begin 2025, I hope you can bring two values from Chanukah forward into the new year (especially appropriate since 2025 has two Chanukahs!). The first is rededication¸ which is the literal translation of “Chanukah,” and the second is community, or kehillah.
Rededication: The name of the holiday means “rededication,” in honor of the Maccabees prevailing and the Israelites rededicating the Temple in Jerusalem for worship. In modern times, we can find ways to rededicate our lives to the values of Jewish tradition and the values of religious freedom. We can ask, in the spirit of New Year’s resolutions, who are we, and what do we want to be — and have our children be — in the world?
Community: The Book of Maccabees — the “origin story” of Chanukah — includes a troubling record of escalating strife between segments of the Jewish population that enabled the Assyrian-Greeks to take over. While the Maccabees restored political and religious autonomy to Judaea through their revolt, I wonder what would have happened if the disagreements had not become violent. As it was then, it is important now to handle disagreements civilly and remember that what binds us together is more important than our differences.Think about how you can model this for your children and be in community this year.
Whether or not it is your practice to make New Year’s resolutions, I hope that your family will feel inspired to reconnect with Jewish values and community. You can do so by applying for a Get Together Grant to host other families for a Jewish-themed gathering, joining us at one of our family-friendly events, or volunteering at one of the many community service opportunities happening this month.
B’shalom (in peace),
Sarah