| |||||||||
|
The month of Kislev occurs at the deepest point of winter and during the time of year when there is the least daylight. The eight day holiday of Hanukkah, occurs at the end of Kislev during the time of the year that has the longest nights of the solar year (in the northern hemisphere, near the winter solstice- December 22). Hanukkah occurs when there is the least moonlight in the sky-- the moon is reduced to a crescent, disappears and barely reappears again as a crescent. At this period Jews light a thin little candle at dusk and place it in their window to chase away the darkness.
The real physical darkness symbolizes one of the darkest period in Jewish history, 2167 years ago. Then the Greek Syrian rulers extinguished the temple menorah and its public worship of God and forbade on penalty of death the observance of family Judaism at home - no Shabbat candles, no holidays, no circumcision or teaching of the children, no eating of kosher food. However, one family of five brothers nicknamed the Maccabees began a rebellion that restored political independence, religious freedom of Jewish worship and culminated in rededicating the temple, hence the term Hanukkah which means rededication, and re lighting the temple menorah with its seven branches. This month is about facing physical and emotional darkness and rekindling light and hope and chasing away darkness in our world and our hearts. The fear of the dark must be met with the courage of the children of the Maccabbees. | |||||||||
|
CREDITS: The JCC Association would like to thank the following individuals for their contributions to the Kislev portion of the "This New Month" Project.
© 2002 - 2006 JCC Association 'This New Month' Project | |||||||||