As Hanukkah Concludes, Hope Prevails for the Jewish People

This year’s Hanukkah celebration, which concludes at nightfall on Friday, has been unlike any in recent memory amid the ongoing war in Gaza and an alarming rise in anti-Semitic incidents in the United States and throughout the West. But especially during these turbulent times, the Festival of Lights and its origin story are a potent reminder of the power of the faith of the Jewish people and their yearning to live free from violence and persecution.

The story of Hanukkah (despite what Second Gentleman Doug Emhoff might suggest) began following a Jewish victory over the forces of King Antiochus IV in the second century BC, when Israel was under the rule of the Hellenistic Seleucid Empire, based in modern-day Syria. Antiochus sought to impose Hellenistic culture and religion on the Jews, attempting to snuff out the Jewish faith and forcibly assimilate Jerusalem’s population.

As part of this effort, Antiochus’s troops desecrated the Temple in Jerusalem, the holiest site for the Jewish people. They erected altars to Zeus and other gods and sacrificed animals on them that the Jewish faith considers unclean. Antiochus made possession of the Torah punishable by death, banned the celebration of Jewish holidays, outlawed circumcision, and killed mothers and their entire families who did circumcise their children.

Jews were ultimately faced with two options: convert or be put to death.

In the face of this persecution, a hero arose – Judah, the son of a man called Mattathias who was the head of an important priestly family with the surname of Maccabee. Judah organized a rebellion against Antiochus by rallying the Jewish people around their faith. The rebels collectively became known as the Maccabees.

Starting in 166 BC, Judah led the Maccabees in a guerilla campaign against the much larger Seleucid forces. The Maccabees destroyed the pagan altars and began re-asserting the Jewish faith throughout Judea.

The pivotal moment in the rebellion occurred in 165 BC when Judah and his forces, despite being significantly outnumbered, achieved a miraculous victory over the Seleucid army at the Battle of Beth Horon. Following this success, the Maccabees reclaimed Jerusalem and liberated the desecrated Second Temple.

Upon entering the Temple, the Maccabees found only a small jar of uncontaminated oil, enough for one day. Miraculously, however, the oil lasted for eight days, the time needed to prepare new ritually pure oil. This event is commemorated by the lighting of the Hanukkah menorah, which has eight branches to symbolize the eight nights of the miracle, along with one central shamash.

The victory of the Maccabees and the rededication of the Temple are celebrated as a symbol of Jewish resistance against religious oppression and the preservation of their faith and culture. In English, Hanukkah roughly translates to “dedication” or “rededication.”

Though the story of the Maccabees holds great significance in the Jewish tradition, highlighting the importance of religious freedom and the resilience of the Jewish people, it was for most of history considered a relatively minor holiday. It became much more prominent in the United States in the early 20th century due to its overlap with the Christmas season, serving as a way for Jews to feel kinship with their Christian neighbors while still celebrating Jewish identity and distinctiveness.

Today, the story of Hanukkah is especially important as Jews once again face threats of violence and oppression, both in Israel and around the world. Hamas’s attack in October was a tragic reminder that there are still forces in the world which seek to eradicate the Jewish faith and all who practice it. Iran is empowering Hamas and Hezbollah terrorists, while other Middle Eastern states have offered their tacit approval of Hamas’s brutality.

Even in the United States, which has since Israel’s founding been its strongest ally, there are prominent cultural forces agitating for the destruction of the Jewish state – including some elected Democrats. In recent weeks the streets of many major American cities have been choked by demonstrators chanting “from the river to the sea,” an implicit call for the annihilation of Israel.

Meanwhile, in the halls of Congress, administrators from top universities have refused to condemn calls for genocide against the Jewish people. Tenured professors have downplayed the horrors of the Holocaust, and Jewish students have been forced to barricade themselves in libraries as pro-Hamas protestors banged on the doors.

But even amidst these new threats to the Jewish people, the Hanukkah story is a reminder that faith can overcome any obstacle. As the celebration concludes on Friday evening, we can all remember to give thanks for God’s faithfulness in the year ahead and recommit to protecting the principles of religious liberty and courage in the face of oppression.

B.C. Brutus is the pen name of a writer with previous experience in the legislative and executive branches.