Hanukkah, the Jewish holiday known as the Festival of Lights, is a time of rededication and remembrance. Each year it begins on the 25th day of the Hebrew month of Kislev and continues for eight nights, carrying stories rooted in courage, sustained by faith and guided by the quiet strength of hope.

At the heart of Hanukkah is the lighting of the menorah, a nine-branched candelabrum with eight candles and one helper, the shamash. Each evening, one more candle is lit until all eight glow in the window. Their light recalls the ancient miracle of oil meant to last a single day that continued to burn for eight. The glow pushes back darkness and invites reflection on the quiet miracles that continue in every generation.

Tradition teaches a blessing for the lighting of the candles: “Blessed are You, Lord our God, King of the universe, who has sanctified us by His commandments, and has commanded us to kindle the lights of Hanukkah.”

Families gather each night for a celebration shaped by laughter, games and gifts. There are potato pancakes served warm, golden coins of chocolate shared with children and the spinning of the dreidel, a simple game that still brings joy. The holiday remembers how over two thousand years ago, Jews in Judea held fast to their beliefs while the Maccabees reclaimed the temple on Jerusalem’s Mount Moriah.

The season carries a message of endurance. Writer and survivor Elie Wiesel once offered a truth shaped by his own long journey: “I have learned two lessons in my life: never to give up hope, and never to let yourself be defeated.” Hanukkah honors that promise each night as one small flame becomes many.