Emily Leyva | Contributing Writer

The glittering flow of softly lit lights. Humble heads bent down in prayer and worship. An exchange of presents between loved ones and fond memories of laughter, love, family and friends. While this may sound like a Christmas Hallmark commercial, it is also a picturesque image which many Jews participate in during their celebration of Hanukkah.

According to a Gallup poll, 95 per- cent of the U.S. celebrates Christmas. Though the Yuletide season is technically a Christian holiday, it is still celebrated by non-Christians and is becoming an American pastime, with only 51 percent of Americans describing the holiday as a religious celebration.

The Pew Research Center has estimated that nearly 5.3 million Americans identify themselves as Jewish, representing only 2.2 percent of the adult population. From that number, only 4.2 million Jews consider themselves to be religious.

So what does this small population of individuals do while the rest of America is decorating trees and hanging up stockings? The customs and values of Christmas and Hanukkah celebrators may not be as unrelated as they appear.

In Hebrew, Hanukkah translates as “dedication.” Also known as the Festival of Lights, which symbolizes the lighting of the menorah, Hanukkah is a Jewish holiday commemorating the dedication of the temple in Jerusalem during the Maccabean Revolt. Around 168 B.C., the Syrian Empire sought to destroy Judaism and Israel, in hopes of uniting the land to worship the same god and share the same customs. The Syrian ruler destroyed the Temple of Jerusalem, erected a false idol and outlawed all Jewish practices.

Though some Jews submitted to the new rulings, Mattathias Maccabee, a member of the priestly class, and his sons fought back. Soon, other farmers joined the Maccabees and retaliated against the Syrian Army. In three years, the simple farmers overthrew the massive and well- equipped army, marched back to Jerusalem and reclaimed the Temple despite the overwhelming odds against them.

The Temple that was previously defiled by the Syrians, was restored, rebuilt and rededicated (Hanukkah) along with the original 7-branch menorah and eight days of celebration and praise to the proper Jewish God.

Hanukkah’s eight-day celebration is inspired by another Jewish holiday. The battle against the Syrians began just after the Jewish New Year and the Day of Atonement (Yom Kippur). Typically, around this time, the Jews celebrated their fall harvest day know as Sukkot. Immediately following the liberation of the Temple, the Jews continued to celebrate Sukkot, which was an eight-day celebration. The dedication of the Temple and eight-day celebration of Sukkot were combined, and Hanukkah was born.

Much like the stories and legends that circulate around Christmas, Hanukkah also has its own myths, particularly speculating the reasons for an eight day celebration.

Erick Mack, a member and officer of the board at the Congregation Etz Hadar in Redlands, said: “The myth that every Jewish child learns is that it’s as if they fought the siege from inside the temple. The myth is they were down to their last container of oil, just enough for one day, but somehow the lamp stayed lit for eight days and that’s considered a great miracle.”

During Hanukkah, certain artifacts are brought out especially for the holiday. The dreidel, for example, a small four-sided spinning top with a Hebrew letter on each side, and the Hanukkah menorah, a sacred candelabrum, which consists of nine candles and branches instead of the usual seven are both used for Hanukkah festivities.

Much of the activity of Hanukkah takes place at home with the lighting the menorah as the central event. One candle is added on each day of the holiday until all the candles are lit by the eighth day.

For Misha Goetz, a religious Jew and former student at APU, watching the candles burn represented a magnificent and beautiful glow. “[It is] something that will stick with me,” Goetz said.

In contrast to the Christmas feast of turkey, mashed potatoes and stuffing, Jews enjoy a different pallet of food. Potato pancakes (latkes) and jelly-filled donuts (sufganiyots) are popular dishes to share during the celebration, with a variety of techniques, flavors and textures used to make them delectable. The goodies are normally fried in oil, to commemorate the legendary oil in the Temple of Jerusalem.

Though the original celebration did not include presents, Hanukkah was heavily influenced by Christmas, which usually takes place around the same time of year and later evolved into a gift-giving holiday, a tradition which Jews embrace today.

“Getting one present every night for eight nights was always a blast!” Goetz said.

Unlike Christmas, Hanukkah falls on different dates every year. The first night of Hanukkah this year fell on Nov. 27, the night before Thanksgiving, which, according to the Hebrew calendar (an evolving lunar calendar), will not happen again for another 79,000 years.

On each night, the candles of the menorah are lit, corresponding to the day of celebration. These are followed by five prayers, which, according to Dr. Ron Wolfson, professor of education at American Jewish University and the president of Synagogue 3000, are:

1) Mitzvah berakhah: “lehadlik ner shel Hanukkah” (lighting the Hanukkah lights), which defines the act as a religious experience and an intent to en- counter God.

2) Berakhah of praise: “sheh’asah nissim la’avoteinu” (who created miracles for our ancestors). This prayer thanks and remembers God for the reclamation of the Temple and for his wondrous miracles.

3) Final berakhah (and only on the first night): “shehecheyanu” (who has given us life). This blessing is said to ac- knowledge the commencement of a holy time for growth and development.

4) Haneirot Hallalu. This is a relatively short story retelling the events of the origination of Hanukkah.

5) Maoz Tzur. This medieval song further thanks God for his miracles and continues the themes in prayers two and four.

Despite the religious differences be- tween the Jewish and Christian holidays, there are a lot of elements, customs and values that are surprisingly similar. For Erick Mack, his recollections of Hanukkah and the celebration of it are no different or less valuable than any Christmas celebration and can even resemble a Christian’s childhood memories.

“[Hanukkah] evokes a lot of memories when I was a kid and getting presents. One grandmother made potato pancakes that were fluffy, one made them crispy and a little greasy, my mother made potato pancakes that were somewhere in between. So… it was family,” Mack said- with a cheerful smile.

Despite the religious connotations of Hanukkah and Christmas, Jews and Christians alike can be easily distracted by the commercialism of the season and can sometimes forget the true meaning of the holidays.

“I think everyone gets lost in the commercialism. Even I get hooked, you know… Lands End, LL Bean, they have deals! And they’re enticing!” Mack said.

But with the holidays and conflicting ideologies that can create tension, there is an attempt to reconcile and understand the differences between the religions. And for Mack, keeping the congregation doors open for all to enter represents an open heart and a shared sense of family and community that can be exercised on Christmas, Hanukkah or any other time of the year for that matter.

“We hope that reaching out will help to break down barriers, stigmas or misconceptions,” Mack said. “One of the most important things we need to remember is that we are all God’s children.”