This is the Forward’s coverage of the Jewish holiday of Hanukkah.
Hanukkah
The Latest
-
Culture Smokey Robinson stumped about how to say ‘Hanukkah’
Some say the Jews control the entertainment industry. If that’s the case, riddle me this: How could Motown legend Smokey Robinson, a six-decade veteran of major record labels, not know how to pronounce Hanukkah — or even have any idea what it is? We can thank Twitter user Jeff Jacobson for an unforgettable record of…
-
Community Hanukkah’s lesson about antisemitism on the Left
There’s a popular joke that every Jewish holiday can be summed up as “They tried to kill us, we won, let’s eat.” It’s an aphorism that’s especially apt for the two rabbinic holidays on the Jewish calendar, Purim and Hanukkah, which we’re currently celebrating. In the Purim story, Haman wished to kill all the Jews…
-
Fast Forward Assault reported at Chabad of the Bluegrass menorah-lighting in Lexington, Kentucky
(JTA) — A Chabad center in Lexington, Kentucky, will see increased police presence for the rest of Hanukkah after an assault during one of the community’s public menorah lightings. A driver directed anti-Semitic language at people lighting the menorah outside Chabad of the Bluegrass, police told the local TV station. When someone from the community…
-
Community The ghost of Hanukkah past
The toughest question was not: what items to keep and what to let go of? Standing in my fully filled childhood home after my father’s death in 2015, the real kishka cruncher was: which memories to keep and which to let go of? At age 50, my bittersweet job was to partner with my big…
-
Community Our era’s Maccabee moment is now
This year, we have to remember the original meaning of Hanukkah. What many of us associate with the holiday — a little bit of oil miraculously going a long way — seems profoundly underwhelming for a God who creates the world and redeems nations from slavery. Some will say it is precisely this fact, that…
-
Community The joy of Hanukkah gift giving — even during a pandemic
There is often confusion among Jews around the globe about why, when and how the tradition of Hanukkah gift-giving originated. Has exchanging gifts with loved ones and friends always been a part of the tradition? Why do we do it? There is nothing in religious texts nor the original retellings of the Maccabees that specifically…
-
Fast Forward At final White House Hanukkah party, Trump talks up ‘four more years’
WASHINGTON (JTA) — To cries of “four more years,” President Donald Trump told guests at a White House Hanukkah Party that he could stay in office “if certain people have wisdom and courage.” Trump lost the Nov. 3 election to Joe Biden, resoundingly, and Biden is preparing to assume office on Jan. 20. But Trump…
-
Community Hanukkah – This year… and next
Hanukkah begins on Thursday night…and not a minute too soon. At noon on Tuesday, every cellphone in Southern California buzzed with an emergency alert from the state office of emergency services: “New public health stay at home order in your area. COVID-19 is spreading rapidly. Stay home except for essential activity. Wear a mask. Keep…
Most Popular
- 1
Fast Forward Unarmed man who tackled Bondi Beach Hanukkah attacker identified as Ahmed al-Ahmed
- 2
Opinion I grew up believing Australia was the best place to be Jewish. This Hanukkah shooting forces a reckoning I do not want.
- 3
Fast Forward Hanukkah shooting leaves at least 15 dead at Australia’s most popular beach
- 4
Fast Forward Father and son suspects in Bondi Beach Hanukkah attack identified as Sajid and Naveed Akram by law enforcement
In Case You Missed It
-
Culture A Jewish-Muslim art show tries what campus politics couldn’t
-
Fast Forward This politician refused to say ‘Happy Hanukkah,’ then blamed ‘political correctness’ for the backlash
-
Fast Forward Jewish groups condemn Coast Guard for secret swastika policy change
-
Yiddish רבנישע כּתבֿים ווײַזן אומגעריכטע פֿאַרבינדונגען צווישן ייִדיש און לאַדינאָRabbinical texts reveal surprising links between Yiddish and Ladino
לויט אַ נײַ בוך פֿאָרשונגען האָבן טראַדיציאָנאַליסטן אין ביידע עדות געהאַלטן, אַז ייִדן מוזן אָפּהיטן זייער גערעדט לשון
-
Shop the Forward Store
100% of profits support our journalism