Christmas Day marks the start of Hanukkah, the eight-day Festival of Lights in Judaism, which has only occurred four times since 1900.
Some rabbis believe that the two major holidays’ crossing offers a fortunate opportunity for interfaith interaction.
According to Rabbi Josh Stanton, a vice president of the Jewish Federations of North America, this can be a significant chance for education, cooperation, and harmony. His organization represents 146 local and regional Jewish federations, and he is in charge of interfaith projects with them.
“Learning deeply from each other is the goal, not proselytizing,” he stated. The way you see yourself is how others see you.
An illustration of unity is the Chicanukah celebration that was held Thursday night in Houston by a number of Jewish organizations, uniting the city’s Jewish and Latino communities for a celebration of the cross-cultural holiday. The location is the Holocaust Museum in Houston.
A latke bar with guacamole, chile con queso, pico de gallo, applesauce, and sour cream was one example of the cuisine that blended the two cultures. The mariachi band attempted to play the Jewish folk song Hava Nagila, and the doughnut-like treats were sufganiyot, a Hanukkah specialty, and bu uelos.
At a Chicanukah celebration at the Holocaust Museum Houston in Houston on Thursday, December 19, 2024, guests smother latkes with guacamole and pico de gallo. (Annie Mulligan/AP Photo)AP
According to Erica Winsor, public affairs officer for the Jewish Federation of Greater Houston, “our shared values—our faith, our families, and our heritage—are what really bring us together.”
According to Rabbi Peter Tarlow, executive director of the Center for Latino-Jewish Relations in Houston, just 20 people attended the first Chicanukah celebration 12 years ago, but this year’s audience was close to 300 and could have been higher if attendance hadn’t been restricted. According to him, the partygoers were a fairly equal mix of Anglo Jews and Latinos, some of whom were Jews of Latin American ancestry.
According to Tarlow, there is too much animosity and division between Latinos and Jews. We may unite and demonstrate our support for one another in this way.
Although Hanukkah is supposed to be a joyful, joyous occasion, rabbis point out that it is occurring this year in the midst of ongoing hostilities between Israeli forces in the Middle East and concerns about antisemitic occurrences.
The Orthodox Union’s executive vice president, Rabbi Moshe Hauer, said that a lot of Jews might be experiencing anxiety as they approach Hanukkah this year. However, he expressed confidence that the majority will uphold the essential custom, which is lighting candles on menorah candelabras and putting them on display in public areas and through windows of homes.
According to Hauer, our community’s stance, devoid of stridency yet resolute, is that the menorah ought to be displayed in our windows, where everyone may see it.
He went on to say that it is more for the world than for us, the Jewish community. That light must be shared by all. We demonstrate our efforts to be a light among the nations by placing the menorah in the window.
Hauer agreed with Stanton that the combination of Hanukkah and Christmas this year offers a unique chance to observe and feel the variety of America and its religious communities.
This year commemorates the 50th anniversary of a significant event in the public lighting of menorahs, according to Rabbi Motti Seligson, public relations director for the Hasidic community Chabad-Lubavitch. A menorah was lit outside Philadelphia’s Independence Hall, which at the time housed the Liberty Bell, on December 8, 1974, as part of a campaign started by Rabbi Menachem M. Schneerson, the leader of the Lubavitcher movement.
According to Seligson, Hanukkah is a celebration of religious freedom, hence it should not be taken for granted. Publicly celebrating it is one method to do it.
He stated that through its many branches worldwide, Chabad was planning over 15,000 public menorah lightings this year.
In reference to worries about political unrest and antisemitism, Seligson stated, “There is definitely some apprehension.” There are those who wonder if Jews will celebrate as freely as they used to.
I’ve heard that we can’t in any way,” he continued. The only way to get through these challenging times is to stand taller, be more proud, and shine brighter than before.
Stanton agreed.
We have experienced both easy and difficult times throughout our history, he remarked. For us, hiding does not equate to safety. Reaching out is the first step.
Why is this year’s Hanukkah so late? The straightforward explanation is that the Gregorian calendar, which places Christmas on December 25, is not in line with the Jewish calendar, which is based on lunar cycles. The 25th day of the Jewish month of Kislev, which falls between late November and late December on the Gregorian calendar, is always when Hanukkah starts.
In 2005, Hanukkah was last observed on Christmas Day. However, the term Chrismukkah, which denotes the overlap of the two holidays, was already widely used. When Seth Cohen, a character on the television program The O.C., adopted the fusion holiday in 2003 as a nod to his Jewish father and Protestant mother, the term gained additional popularity.
A young Jewish woman who has only ever appreciated Christmas from afar is given the opportunity to experience it firsthand when her boyfriend extends an invitation for her to spend the holidays with his family. This season, the Hallmark Channel debuted a brand-new Christmas film titled Leah’s Perfect Gift. Warning: Things don’t go as planned.
Even though these narratives imply that some Jews find Christmas fascinating, Stanton says Jewish Federation research shows that more Jews are volunteering for charitable causes during the holidays and are looking for closer ties to their own customs and community.
“We have the chance to share our Hanukkah celebrations with others,” he remarked. It’s a day to celebrate freedom, hope, and being happy to be Jewish. ___
Through its partnership with The Conversation US and financial support from Lilly Endowment Inc., the Associated Press supports its coverage of religion. This content is entirely the responsibility of the AP.
Note: Every piece of content is rigorously reviewed by our team of experienced writers and editors to ensure its accuracy. Our writers use credible sources and adhere to strict fact-checking protocols to verify all claims and data before publication. If an error is identified, we promptly correct it and strive for transparency in all updates, feel free to reach out to us via email. We appreciate your trust and support!
