Chanukah — חנוכה
Starts at sundown on December 5, 2026 and ends at Sundown on December 12, 2026
Summary
Chanukah is an eight-day Jewish holiday that begins on the 25th day of the Hebrew month of Kislev. It celebrates the victory of the Jewish people over religious persecution, the restoration of Jewish worship in Jerusalem, and the rededication of the Beit HaMikdash more than 2,000 years ago.
During the second century BCE, the Seleucid Greek rulers attempted to suppress important parts of Jewish religious life. The Beit HaMikdash was desecrated, and Jews who remained committed to Torah faced serious pressure to abandon their traditions. A revolt led by Matityahu and his sons, including Yehudah HaMaccabi, eventually succeeded in regaining Jerusalem and restoring the Temple.
According to the Talmud, when the Jews prepared to relight the Menorah in the Beit HaMikdash, they found only one container of pure olive oil that had remained properly sealed. It contained enough oil for one day, but it continued burning for eight days, allowing time for additional pure oil to be prepared.
We remember these events by lighting Chanukah lights for eight nights. We also recite special prayers, say Hallel, eat festive foods, give tzedakah, learn Torah, and spend time with family and community.
Ashkenazi, Sephardic, and Mizrahi Jews all observe the same basic mitzvah of Chanukah lighting, but customs can differ. Some families use candles while others strongly prefer olive oil. Some households have each family member light separately, while others light one chanukiah for the entire household. Foods, songs, melodies, and family traditions also vary greatly.
From an Orthodox Jewish perspective, Chanukah is not simply a celebration of a military victory. It reminds us that Jewish survival also means preserving Torah, mitzvot, our connection to HaShem, and our identity as Am Yisrael.
What Chanukah Means
The Hebrew word Chanukah, חנוכה, means “dedication.”
The name refers to the rededication of the Beit HaMikdash after it had been desecrated.
When the Jewish forces regained Jerusalem, they purified the Temple and restored its service to HaShem.
This is central to understanding Chanukah.
The Jewish people did not fight simply so they could remain physically alive. They wanted to continue living as Jews.
They wanted to study Torah.
They wanted to perform mitzvot.
They wanted to worship HaShem.
They wanted the Beit HaMikdash in Jerusalem to once again be a holy place dedicated to Him.
The Historical Background
The events of Chanukah took place when Eretz Yisrael was controlled by the Seleucid Empire, one of the Greek-speaking kingdoms that developed after the empire of Alexander the Great was divided.
Greek culture had spread throughout much of the ancient world.
Some Jews adopted parts of Greek culture. Others resisted ideas and practices that conflicted with Torah.
Eventually the conflict became much more serious under the Seleucid ruler Antiochus IV.
Jewish religious practices were restricted, and the Beit HaMikdash in Jerusalem was desecrated.
The conflict was therefore not simply between Jews and Greeks.
There was also a serious disagreement within Jewish society over Jewish identity and whether Torah should remain at the center of Jewish life.
Matityahu and the Beginning of the Revolt
The Jewish revolt is traditionally associated with Matityahu, a Kohen who lived in Modi’in.
Matityahu refused to participate in idolatrous worship and called upon Jews who wanted to remain faithful to HaShem and Torah to join him.
He and his sons began resisting Seleucid rule.
After Matityahu died, his son Yehudah became one of the main leaders of the revolt.
He became known as Yehudah HaMaccabi.
The Jewish fighters who followed him became known as the Maccabees.
Yehudah HaMaccabi and the Jewish Victory
Yehudah HaMaccabi led Jewish forces against an enemy that was larger and better equipped.
The Maccabees won important battles and eventually regained control of Jerusalem.
Traditional Jewish prayer does not describe this victory only as a military achievement.
In Al HaNissim, we thank HaShem for delivering the strong into the hands of the weak and the many into the hands of the few.
The Jewish victory therefore became an opportunity to recognize HaShem’s role in the survival of His people.
The Rededication of the Beit HaMikdash
When the Maccabees entered Jerusalem, they found that the Beit HaMikdash had been desecrated.
The Temple had to be purified before the regular service could resume.
The Jews cleaned the Temple, removed objects associated with idolatrous worship, and restored the sacred service.
The rededication began on the 25th day of Kislev.
This is why Chanukah begins on that date.
Chanukah therefore has a deep connection to Jerusalem and the Beit HaMikdash.
The Miracle of the Oil
The Talmud tells us that when the Jews were ready to relight the Menorah, they found only one container of pure olive oil that remained properly sealed.
There was enough oil for one day.
Preparing additional pure oil would take several days.
The Jews lit the Menorah anyway.
The oil continued burning for eight days.
This gave enough time to prepare additional pure oil for the Temple service.
We remember this miracle by lighting Chanukah lights for eight nights.
Why Chanukah Lasts Eight Days
Each night of Chanukah, we increase the number of lights.
On the first night, one Chanukah light is lit.
On the second night, two are lit.
We continue until all eight are burning on the final night.
There is a beautiful lesson in this practice.
We do not begin with all the light at once.
We begin with one.
Then we add another.
Spiritual growth can happen the same way.
Someone may begin with one mitzvah.
Someone else may learn one brachah.
Another person may attend their first Jewish gathering.
Small steps can eventually become a much stronger relationship with Torah and HaShem.
The Chanukiah — חנוכיה
The special lamp used for Chanukah is commonly called a chanukiah.
It has places for eight Chanukah lights and one additional light called the shamash.
The eight lights represent the eight nights of Chanukah.
The shamash is kept separate from the other lights.
A chanukiah can use candles or oil.
Olive oil has special meaning because it reminds us of the oil used in the Beit HaMikdash.
Many Sephardic and Mizrahi families have a particularly strong tradition of using olive oil, although candles are also widely used and can properly fulfill the mitzvah.
The Shamash — שמש
The shamash is the additional light.
Its name means an attendant or helper.
The Chanukah lights themselves are not supposed to be used for ordinary purposes.
We do not light them simply so we can read, work, or illuminate the room.
The shamash provides a separate ordinary light.
It is usually placed higher or in another position so that it is easily distinguished from the eight Chanukah lights.
How the Chanukiah Is Set Up
A common practice is to place the first Chanukah light on the right side of the chanukiah.
Each new night, another light is added toward the left.
When lighting, the newest light is generally lit first.
The remaining lights are then lit in order.
There are differences between family and community customs, so someone who has an established family tradition should generally continue following it.
When the Chanukah Lights Are Lit
Chanukah lights are normally lit around nightfall, although the exact time differs according to halachic tradition.
The lights should burn long enough to fulfill the mitzvah.
An important idea behind Chanukah lighting is pirsumei nisa, פרסומי ניסא, publicizing the miracle.
For this reason, the lights are traditionally placed where they can be seen by others when it is safe and practical.
Many families place the chanukiah near a window.
In Israel, it is common to see chanukiot placed near the entrance of homes in protective glass boxes.
The lights publicly remind us of what HaShem did for Am Yisrael.
The Blessings Before Lighting
Special blessings are recited before lighting the Chanukah lights.
The first two blessings are said every night.
Shehecheyanu is added on the first night.
There are small differences in pronunciation and wording among Jewish traditions.
Blessing for Lighting the Chanukah Lights
Hebrew:
ברוך אתה ה׳ אלהינו מלך העולם אשר קדשנו במצותיו וצונו להדליק נר של חנוכה
Transliteration:
Baruch Atah Adonai, Eloheinu Melech ha’olam, asher kideshanu b’mitzvotav v’tzivanu l’hadlik ner shel Chanukah.
English:
Blessed are You, HaShem our God, King of the universe, Who has sanctified us with His commandments and commanded us to kindle the Chanukah light.
Some Sephardic communities commonly say:
להדליק נר חנוכה
L’hadlik ner Chanukah.
This means “to kindle the Chanukah light.”
Blessing for the Miracles
Hebrew:
ברוך אתה ה׳ אלהינו מלך העולם שעשה נסים לאבותינו בימים ההם בזמן הזה
Transliteration:
Baruch Atah Adonai, Eloheinu Melech ha’olam, she’asah nisim la’avoteinu bayamim hahem bazman hazeh.
English:
Blessed are You, HaShem our God, King of the universe, Who performed miracles for our ancestors in those days, at this time.
Shehecheyanu — First Night
Hebrew:
ברוך אתה ה׳ אלהינו מלך העולם שהחיינו וקימנו והגיענו לזמן הזה
Transliteration:
Baruch Atah Adonai, Eloheinu Melech ha’olam, shehecheyanu v’kiyemanu v’higiyanu lazman hazeh.
English:
Blessed are You, HaShem our God, King of the universe, Who has kept us alive, sustained us, and enabled us to reach this time.
HaNerot Hallalu — הנרות הללו
After lighting, many Jews recite HaNerot Hallalu.
The prayer explains that we light these candles because of the miracles, salvation, and wonders HaShem performed for our ancestors.
It also reminds us that the Chanukah lights are sacred.
We look at them and remember the miracle, but we do not use their light for ordinary purposes.
Different communities may use slightly different versions or melodies.
Ashkenazi Chanukah Customs
In many Ashkenazi households, each member of the family may light their own chanukiah.
This can result in several chanukiot glowing together in one home.
Latkes are one of the best known Ashkenazi Chanukah foods. They are usually potato pancakes fried in oil.
Maoz Tzur is commonly sung after lighting the candles.
Dreidel games are also widespread in Ashkenazi communities.
Chanukah gelt, meaning money given during Chanukah, is another traditional custom.
Modern gift giving is common in many Ashkenazi communities, especially in North America, although giving gifts is not one of the mitzvot of Chanukah.
Sephardic Chanukah Customs
Sephardic communities share the same basic Chanukah mitzvot, but some practices differ from common Ashkenazi customs.
In many Sephardic households, one chanukiah is lit on behalf of the entire household rather than each family member lighting separately.
This follows a long-standing Sephardic halachic tradition.
Olive oil is especially common in many Sephardic homes because of its connection with the miracle in the Beit HaMikdash.
Families may gather around the chanukiah, say the blessings together, sing traditional songs, and spend time learning or telling the story of Chanukah.
The exact songs and melodies can differ depending on whether a family traces its traditions to Spain, Turkey, Greece, Morocco, North Africa, the Balkans, or another Sephardic community.
Sephardic Chanukah Foods
Sephardic Chanukah foods often involve frying in oil, but they may look very different from Ashkenazi latkes.
Some Sephardic families traditionally prepare fried dough pastries such as bimuelos or buñuelos.
In Moroccan Jewish communities, sfenj, a ring-shaped fried dough, may be eaten.
Other communities have their own fried pastries or sweets.
The exact food is not the religious requirement.
The oil is what connects these foods symbolically to the miracle of Chanukah.
These family traditions also show how Jewish communities preserved their identity while living in many different countries.
Mizrahi Chanukah Customs
Mizrahi Jewish communities developed their own Chanukah customs across the Middle East and surrounding regions.
Iraqi, Persian, Syrian, Kurdish, Yemenite, and other Mizrahi Jewish communities may differ from one another just as Sephardic and Ashkenazi communities do.
In many Mizrahi homes, olive oil or other traditional oil lamps have been strongly associated with Chanukah.
The family may gather for the lighting, recite prayers together, sing traditional Hebrew or local Jewish melodies, and share festive foods.
The military victory of the Maccabees and the restoration of Jewish worship in Jerusalem often remain important themes alongside the miracle of the oil.
Mizrahi Foods and Family Traditions
Different Mizrahi communities developed foods based on the ingredients and cooking traditions of the places where they lived.
Fried pastries and sweets are common in several Middle Eastern Jewish traditions.
Some communities prepare forms of zalabia or other fried dough desserts.
Other families may have special meat dishes, rice dishes, sweets, or family recipes associated with Chanukah gatherings.
There is no single “Mizrahi Chanukah meal.”
A Persian Jewish family may celebrate differently from an Iraqi or Yemenite family.
That variety is part of the richness of Jewish life.
Where Sephardic and Mizrahi Traditions Overlap
The words Sephardic and Mizrahi do not always describe completely separate groups.
Over hundreds of years, communities influenced one another.
After the expulsion of Jews from Spain, Sephardic Jews settled in parts of North Africa, the Ottoman Empire, and the Middle East.
Their religious traditions influenced existing Jewish communities in those places.
As a result, a family may identify as Mizrahi while following Sephardic halachic traditions.
Another family may describe itself as both Sephardic and Mizrahi.
The important point is that Jewish tradition contains many legitimate customs.
Chanukah gives families an opportunity to preserve those traditions and pass them to the next generation.
Different Customs, One Mitzvah
The differences between Ashkenazi, Sephardic, and Mizrahi observance are a good example of Jewish unity without requiring everyone to practice every custom in exactly the same way.
One family may use candles.
Another may use olive oil.
One household may have several people lighting.
Another may have one person light for everyone.
The melodies may sound completely different.
The food on the table may come from Poland, Morocco, Iraq, Yemen, Iran, or Israel.
Yet everyone is remembering the same miracle and thanking the same HaShem.
Al HaNissim — על הנסים
Al HaNissim is added to the Amidah and Birkat HaMazon throughout Chanukah.
It thanks HaShem for the miracles and victories He performed for the Jewish people.
The prayer describes how HaShem delivered the strong into the hands of the weak and the many into the hands of the few.
It then describes the purification of the Beit HaMikdash and the lighting of its lamps.
Al HaNissim is recited throughout Orthodox communities regardless of whether they are Ashkenazi, Sephardic, or Mizrahi.
The pronunciation and melody may differ, but the central prayer is shared.
Hallel
Full Hallel is recited during Shacharit on all eight days of Chanukah.
Hallel consists of Psalms praising and thanking HaShem.
Chanukah remembers a dangerous period in Jewish history, but the holiday focuses on salvation rather than mourning.
We praise HaShem because Torah survived.
Jewish worship returned to Jerusalem.
The Jewish people were able to continue living as Jews.
Torah Reading
The Torah is read in synagogue each morning during Chanukah.
The readings come from Bamidbar and describe the offerings brought by the tribal leaders during the dedication of the Mishkan.
This connects naturally with Chanukah because Chanukah itself means dedication.
The final reading also leads into the Torah’s discussion of the Menorah.
Chanukah and Shabbat
When Chanukah falls on Shabbat, the schedule requires special attention.
On Friday afternoon, Chanukah lights are lit before the Shabbat candles.
The Chanukah candles or oil must last long enough after nightfall to fulfill the mitzvah.
On Saturday night, the Chanukah lights are lit after Shabbat ends.
There are different traditions about the exact order of Havdalah and Chanukah lighting at home.
Ashkenazi, Sephardic, and individual community customs may differ.
Someone with an established family tradition should follow that tradition.
Chanukah Is Not a Yom Tov Like Shabbat
Chanukah is different from major festivals such as Rosh Hashanah, Sukkot, Pesach, and Shavuot.
Ordinary work is generally permitted.
People can normally go to work or school.
Driving and other weekday activities are allowed.
This means Chanukah brings holiness directly into ordinary life.
A person may finish a normal day of work, return home, light the chanukiah, say the blessings, learn Torah, and spend time with family.
The ordinary day becomes connected with a mitzvah.
A Custom Concerning Work While the Candles Burn
In some Jewish communities, particularly among women, there is a custom to avoid certain types of work while the Chanukah lights are burning for the initial period required for the mitzvah.
The exact practice varies.
This is a custom rather than a general prohibition against working throughout Chanukah.
It gives the lighting period a special feeling and allows time to sit near the lights, sing, pray, or spend time with family.
Foods Cooked in Oil
Foods prepared in oil are eaten throughout many Jewish communities.
The custom reminds us of the miracle of the oil.
Ashkenazi families may eat latkes.
Israeli families commonly enjoy sufganiyot.
Sephardic families may have bimuelos or other fried pastries.
Moroccan Jews may eat sfenj.
Some Middle Eastern Jewish communities prepare forms of zalabia or similar fried sweets.
There is no halachic requirement to eat one particular food.
The different foods show how the same Jewish holiday developed distinctive flavors in different communities.
Dairy Foods
Some Jewish families also eat dairy foods during Chanukah.
This custom is connected with traditions surrounding Yehudit, or Judith.
Different versions of her story appear in Jewish tradition.
Dairy foods became part of Chanukah observance in some communities, although this custom is not universal.
Dreidel and Sevivon — סביבון
A spinning top is commonly used for Chanukah games.
In Yiddish it is called a dreidel.
In Hebrew it is called a sevivon.
Outside Israel, the traditional letters are:
נ — Nun
ג — Gimel
ה — Hei
ש — Shin
These are commonly understood as representing:
נס גדול היה שם
Nes gadol hayah sham.
“A great miracle happened there.”
In Israel, the final letter is generally פ, Peh.
The phrase becomes:
נס גדול היה פה
Nes gadol hayah po.
“A great miracle happened here.”
For Jews living in Israel, that difference is especially meaningful because the events of Chanukah took place in Eretz Yisrael.
Chanukah Gelt and Gifts
Giving Chanukah gelt is an old Jewish custom.
Children may receive money, and some families encourage them to give part of it to tzedakah.
Gift giving has become common in modern times, particularly in North America.
It is not a religious requirement.
In many Sephardic and Mizrahi families, elaborate nightly gift giving was historically less central than lighting, meals, songs, family gatherings, or giving money.
Modern Israeli and Diaspora customs have caused many traditions to mix.
Families can enjoy gifts while remembering that the central mitzvah remains lighting the Chanukah lights.
Children and Chanukah
Chanukah provides many opportunities to involve children in Jewish life.
They can learn the story of the Maccabees.
They can watch or participate in lighting according to family custom.
They can learn the blessings.
They can give tzedakah.
They can prepare a family food that grandparents or great-grandparents also ate.
This is especially important in families with Sephardic or Mizrahi traditions.
A child who learns why their family uses a particular melody, food, or style of chanukiah is learning that Jewish history is also their own family history.
Chanukah and Jewish Identity
One of the major themes behind Chanukah is Jewish identity.
The struggle was not simply about whether Jews could interact with the larger world.
The deeper issue was whether Jews would abandon Torah and replace Jewish religious life with practices that contradicted it.
From an Orthodox perspective, Chanukah teaches that we can live in the modern world while remaining connected to HaShem.
Jews have lived in Europe, North Africa, the Middle East, Asia, the Americas, and many other places.
They adopted local languages and foods.
They developed different melodies and customs.
Yet Torah remained the connection between those communities.
Physical Survival and Spiritual Survival
Jewish survival is not only about remaining physically alive.
There is also spiritual survival.
A Jewish community could continue to exist while gradually losing Torah, mitzvot, Jewish knowledge, and its connection to HaShem.
The Maccabees believed Jewish religious life was worth preserving.
Every generation therefore has a responsibility to carry Judaism forward.
We learn Torah.
We perform mitzvot.
We teach children.
We maintain Jewish traditions.
We welcome Jews who feel distant.
We build communities where people can find one another.
This is how Jewish life continues.
Light and Darkness
Chanukah is a holiday of increasing light.
We begin with one light.
Then we add another.
By the final night, the chanukiah is filled with light.
This is one of the most powerful symbols in Jewish life.
A person does not have to transform everything overnight.
One mitzvah matters.
One act of kindness matters.
One invitation to a lonely Jew matters.
One Torah lesson can matter.
One honest conversation may begin someone’s return to Jewish life.
The light grows because we continue adding to it.
Chanukah and Jerusalem
Chanukah cannot be separated from Jerusalem.
The central events of the holiday took place in Eretz Yisrael, and the rededication occurred at the Beit HaMikdash.
From an Orthodox Jewish perspective, the Beit HaMikdash is not only part of our ancient history.
Jerusalem remains central to Jewish prayer and identity.
Our prayers continue to express hope for the rebuilding of the Beit HaMikdash and the full redemption of Am Yisrael.
When we light Chanukah lights in Houston, Paris, Casablanca, New York, Baghdad’s former Jewish neighborhoods, or anywhere else, the story still points us back toward Jerusalem.
Chanukah and Tzedakah
Tzedakah is a meaningful way to bring Chanukah’s message into daily life.
Light is not only something created by candles.
We can create light for another person.
Help someone who is struggling.
Invite someone who would otherwise be alone.
Support a Jewish family in need.
Help someone obtain Jewish books or religious items.
Welcome someone who is nervous about entering a Jewish community.
A small act may mean far more to the other person than we realize.
Chanukah for Someone New to Jewish Observance
Chanukah is a wonderful holiday for someone who wants to reconnect with Judaism.
You do not need to know everything.
Start with one light.
Learn how to light a chanukiah.
Learn the blessings.
Ask your parents or grandparents whether your family had a particular Chanukah custom.
Try a Sephardic, Mizrahi, or Ashkenazi family recipe.
Attend a community lighting.
Give some tzedakah.
Learn something about Jerusalem and the Beit HaMikdash.
Ask questions.
If you discover that your family comes from Morocco, Iraq, Poland, Iran, Yemen, Spain, Syria, or somewhere else, learn how Jews from that community celebrated Chanukah.
Reconnecting with Judaism can also mean reconnecting with the Jewish story that your own family carried.
A Tevel Zion Lesson From Chanukah
Chanukah reminds us that there has never been only one cultural way to be Jewish.
Ashkenazi Jews developed their customs.
Sephardic Jews preserved theirs.
Mizrahi communities carried Jewish life through the Middle East and surrounding regions.
Their foods and melodies were different.
Their Hebrew pronunciation sometimes sounded different.
Their family customs could be different.
But they were all lighting lights for the same miracle.
They were all remembering Jerusalem.
They were all thanking HaShem.
That is an important lesson for our community today.
A Jew may be Orthodox, traditional, secular, Sephardic, Mizrahi, Ashkenazi, Israeli, American, or still trying to understand where they belong.
They may know every blessing or none of them.
They may have grown up in a synagogue or may be walking into Jewish community for the first time.
Chanukah tells us to begin with light.
Light one candle.
Learn one blessing.
Ask one question.
Do one mitzvah.
Welcome another person.
Remember HaShem.
Then add a little more light tomorrow.
When Jews with different backgrounds come together while respecting the traditions each family carries, those individual lights become something much greater.
That is how Jewish community grows, and that is how we help make sure no Jew has to feel that they are standing in the darkness alone.
Leave a Reply