Happy Hanukkah!

Chag Chanukah Sameach!

This year doesn’t feel quite as celebratory as some past years, in part because it feels a lot less safe to be a Jew in the current climate.

But the origins of Hanukkah come from the triumph of a small, rebel force over that of a dictatorial force that tried to get the Jews to give up their faith and identity. And it’s celebrated in the midst of winter, during some of the longest nights of the year, as a way of spreading light in this world. (It has that in common with Diwali and Solstice, and even Christmas and Kwanzaa.)

So tonight we will light the first candle in the menorah. And on Saturday, we will host our future machatunim* along with my daughter and her fiancé for dinner. It’s the second year in a row, so we are counting it as a new Chanukah tradition!

*machatunim is a Yiddish word to describe the parents of your child’s spouse.