Celebrating Hanukah in Connecticut 

Celebrating Hanukah in Connecticut 

By Rabbi Benjamin Scolnic

I’ve been teaching a class about Judaism at Southern Connecticut State University for 20 years. At the beginning of every semester, I ask the students what they know about Judaism. And every semester, several respond that the only thing they know about the religion is a little about Hanukah. They say that they’re not sure how to spell it (Chanukah, Hanukkah, etc.) and that they know while it comes at the same time of the year, it is not a “Jewish Christmas” but also does feature lights and presents. And how do they know this? One of the Jewish parents visited their elementary school class and talked about the holiday and brought “some really good pancakes.” Some even remember who that nice mother was.

This is a good way to start thinking about Hanukah in Connecticut. It’s wonderful to think about a school promoting understanding by inviting parents of a minority religion to explain their customs to all the students. Years later, it still may be the only thing they know about Judaism, but these college students have fond and positive associations.

Hanukah commemorates the victory of the Maccabees over the Seleucid Greeks. For a reason scholars still debate, the Seleucid king, Antiochos IV Epiphanes, started the first religious persecution in human history of a people worshipping their own religion in their own land. The victory won by a small group of Jews against a might army of an empire is the victory of freedom over tyranny.

Let’s think about the details the students remembered. Hanukah is an eight-day holiday that starts on a different secular date every year because the Jewish year is based on the lunar calendar rather than the solar one. Hanukah falls on the day 25 day of the Hebrew month Kislev, which usually occurs in late November or December.

It’s true that there are different spellings of Hanukah due to difficulties in transliterating the Hebrew word into the Latin alphabet; some Hebrew sounds, like the guttural initial consonant (het), don’t exist in English. The “ch” in Chanukah represents this sound, while the “h” in Hanukah provides a phonetic approximation, leading to variations like Hannukah and Chanukkah.

Why is Hanukah celebrated for eight days? The usual answer is that the holiday lasts eight days to honor the miracle in which the oil in the Temple’s menorah burned for eight days, even though there was only enough for one day. The real answer is that it was based on the eight-day holiday of Sukkot, the Harvest Festival. The eight days symbolize hope and perseverance.

Where do the lights come in? While the traditional candelabrum, the menorah—which goes back the time of Moses a thousand years before these events—had seven branches, the special menorah for Hanukah, called a hanukiah, has eight branches, one for each day. A candle on the ninth branch, called the shamash, is used to light the others.

When you see homes and synagogue with Hanukah lights, and homes and churches with Christmas lights, it’s as if many of us are projecting light into the darkness of short days and winter nights; it’s a sign of what makes the community great. It’s nice to be able to celebrate and recognize in America that we’re a society that we can express our faiths and that we can celebrate each other’s faiths. 

What were those pancakes they remembered? Popular Hanukah foods include latkes (potato pancakes) and sufganiyot (jelly-filled doughnuts), both fried in oil to symbolize the miracle of the oil.

What is the dreidel and how is it used? A dreidel is a four-sided spinning top with Hebrew letters on each side. It is used in a traditional Hanukah game played with coins or candies. The dreidel features the letters Nun, Gimel, Hei and Shin, which stand for “Nes Gadol Haya Sham” (“A great miracle happened there”). Children often play with dreidels. Eight nights’ worth of presents is a lot, but they are not on the large scale of Christmas giving. Many families have one night for books, another one for socks and others for small items. 

Celebrations

Is Hanukah a major Jewish holiday? Hanukah is considered a minor holiday in terms of religious significance, but it is widely celebrated and culturally important among Jewish communities. Special prayers and songs are recited to honor the holiday’s history and themes. For many decades, communities have celebrated it publicly in Connecticut. Here are just a few of the celebrations our towns have had recently in the state.

In New Haven, there’s a communal menorah lighting on New Haven Green. The first night lighting may include music, hot latkes, donuts, dreidels and even a laser light show. The Jewish Federation of Greater New Haven maintains a Hanukah resources page, which in past years has listed candle lightings and the Greater New Haven Menorah Lighting & Parade. 

In Fairfield, the town for the first time included a giant, 12-foot menorah in its holiday display, lit during its annual holiday ceremony. 

In Darien, they’ve held a community menorah lighting in Grove Street Plaza, with crafts, treats and songs. 

In Tolland, residents gathered for a menorah lighting on the fifth night of Hanukah in a town green event. 

In Trumbull, a menorah lighting ceremony is held in front of town hall, organized by Chabad Lubavitch of Southern Connecticut. 

A well-known kosher grocery, The Crown Market in West Hartford, gears up for Hanukah by baking sufganiyot (jelly doughnuts) and latkes, serving as a focal point for holiday food in the Jewish community. 

Things to Do

Attend a public menorah lighting: Many towns across Connecticut host public lightings at town greens, plazas and town halls.

Check with synagogues or Jewish community centers: They often have special Hanukkah events, such as candle lightings, concerts and children’s programs.

Look at local Jewish Federation and Chabad websites: They frequently post event calendars in the weeks leading up to the holiday.

Enjoy the holiday foods: You can find latkes, sufganiyot and other fried foods in the community’s kosher shops or local Jewish bakeries.

Join or watch holiday parades or walks: Some towns combine downtown small business involvement for the holidays (e.g., “village walk” events).

Be alert for exhibitions / light displays: Public menorahs and displays might be included in holiday lighting circuit events in your town.

Coming back to my students and their introduction to Hanukah, there is an important lesson here. For all the lightings of menorahs on town greens and the parties in synagogues and Hebrew schools, the idea that people of different faiths can respect each other’s beliefs and customs and continue to learn more about each other is the most important holiday celebration of all. 

A rabbi, scholar and author, Rabbi Benjamin Scolnic has been the spiritual leader of Temple Beth Sholom, located in Hamden, Conn., since 1983.