Tonight, we begin the 8-day long celebration of The Festival of Lights, Chanukkah. As everyone knows, this holiday commemorates the time, in ages past, that a candle with but one day's oil burned for over a week.
Except, it doesn't and it didn't.
The true story of Chanukkah is far more about culture and faith than Harry Potter:
"The Apocrypha's texts make it clear that the battle against Hellenization was in fact a kulturkampf among the Jews themselves ... Armed Hasmonean priests and their comrades from the rural town ofModi'in attacked urban Jews, priests and laity alike, who supported Greek reform, like the gymnasium and new rules for governing commerce ... So the miracle-of-the-oil celebration of Hanukkah that the rabbis later invented covers up a blood-soaked struggle that pitted Jew against Jew"
And they weren't fighting over latkes.
Oh, and Chag Chanukah Sameyach!
Except, it doesn't and it didn't.
The true story of Chanukkah is far more about culture and faith than Harry Potter:
"The Apocrypha's texts make it clear that the battle against Hellenization was in fact a kulturkampf among the Jews themselves ... Armed Hasmonean priests and their comrades from the rural town ofModi'in attacked urban Jews, priests and laity alike, who supported Greek reform, like the gymnasium and new rules for governing commerce ... So the miracle-of-the-oil celebration of Hanukkah that the rabbis later invented covers up a blood-soaked struggle that pitted Jew against Jew"
And they weren't fighting over latkes.
Oh, and Chag Chanukah Sameyach!
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