Chanukkah has already arrived

The traditional Chanukkah Sufganiyot are already available at the Machane Yehudah Market in Jerusalem.

Photos: Miriam Woelke

The eight and last Chanukkah Candle

Photo: Miriam Woelke

Ancient Caves

Near Arad / Israel

Photo: Facebook

The seventh Chanukkah Candle

Photo: Miriam Woelke

The sixth Chanukkah Candle

Photo: Miriam Woelke

Chanukkah Sameach - Happy Chanukkah !

Photo: Miriam Woelke

The haredi world on Chanukkah

Chanukkah Atmosphere in Tel Aviv ?

B"H

So far, I haven't noticed any special Chanukkah atmosphere in Tel Aviv. People are lighting Chanukkiyot and Chabad is around all over the city but still, it is not the same as being in Jerusalem or in Zfat. I may go to Jerusalem next Monday and take pictures in Mea Shearim. If I can't make it, I will definitely go to Bnei Brak. 

Chabadnikkim are handing out Chanukkiyot in Tel Aviv. For free and even where I work, a Chanukkiya was handed it. I just went over, said the blessings and lit the candles for the two guys working. They are totally secular and don't necessarily keep kosher but I told them to do something for their Neshama (soul). And ... it worked !

Here is my Chanukkiya at home. I usually don't use oil because I, somehow, always drop the glass vessels.

Photos: Miriam Woelke

Chanukkah 5772 / 2011: Admorim lighting Chanukkiot

The Pinks - Karlin Rebbe

The Amshinover Rebbe

The Stropkover Rebbe

In Chassidut Toldot Avraham Yitzchak

See all pictures HERE !

Chanukkah Miracle

B”H  

Chanukkah everywhere we look. No matter if secular or religious, Jews all over the world love to light Chanukkah candles. 

More than 2000 years ago, G – d caused a miracle by letting the kosher oil of the Menorah last for eight days instead of only one day. Therefore, Chanukkah stands for the miracle of the oil and not necessarily for the success of the Maccabim against the Greeks. 

Miracle, Miracle … Let’s admit. Every Chanukkah, we are all waiting for our own personal miracle in life. It doesn’t matter in what area of our lives but it is this particular holiday giving us hope. And from my personal experience I can say that, sometimes, Chanukkah miracles are really happening. 

Chanukkah Samaech – Happy Chanukkah and that G – d may grant little miracles to each one of us.

Chanukkah in Jerusalem

Chanukkah has started tonight and we lit the first of eight candles. The picture shows a Chanukkiah in Jerusalem, built of thousands of small lights.

Chanukkah Insights

Chanukkah 2010 / 5771 in Jerusalem's Nachlaot neighbourhood 

Photos: Miriam Woelke

B"H

Tuesday night, Dec. 20, or 25th Kislev, is already the first night of Chanukkah. Chanukkah lasts for eight days and is the only holiday where the event took actually place in Israel. Especially in Jerusalem and in the Beit HaMikdash. It is a rabbinic holiday stipulated by the Sanhedrin. For the first time, Chanukkah was already celebrated one year after the Greeks were thrown out of the Temple.

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Chanukkah is a Jewish holiday although other religions such as Christianity like to steal Jewish holidays and claim them as their own. The Chashmonaim (Maccabim) were Cohanim and fought against idol worship in Israel. They fought for Judaism and the Jewish people and if they knew today how other religions use their ideas for their own selfish purposes, the Chashmonaim would turn around in their graves. Xmas and Chanukkah have nothing whatsoever in common and whoever tries to connect them kicks the ideals of the Chashmonaim with his feet.

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I am not mentioning the whole Chanukkah - history but I would like to give some insights instead. 

The goal of the Greek - Syrian occupation was to destroy the Jewish religion. Studying Torah, keeping Shabbat and Brit Milah (circumcision) was forbidden according to the law. In 165 B.C.E., the Chashmonaim won the war against the Greek idol worshipers and brought back the spirituality to the Jewish people. The Greeks concentrated on materialism and the beauty of the body whereas the Jews wanted to keep their religion. It was not only a physical war but also a spiritual. The Neshama fought against materialism. 

The real miracle of Chanukkah is not the military actions of the Maccabim but the burning of the Menorah for eight days (see Rabbi Avraham Yehoshua Heshel of Apta in his book "Ohev Israel", the Sefat Emet and many others). After the Maccabim re - conquered the Temple, they only found one tiny bottle of kosher olive oil which hadn't been used for idol worship. With this amount, the Menorah was only to burn for one day but miracoulesly the oil lasted for eight days. In that time, the Jews were able to produce more kosher olive oil. 

In Kabbalah and Chassidut, the eight days of Chanukkah and the miracle are timeless. For G - d, time does not exist because He is infinite. Time only exists for us and is implanted in our DNA. The upper (higher) spiritual worlds of G - d do not know time. There, past, present and future coexist and all three times happen together. Therefore, Chanukkah is timeless.

But why miracle ? What exactly is a miracle ?

For us a miracle is always something supernatural. Something is happening against nature and we are unable to explain it with our human understanding. We have no logical explanation for it. But not everything which seems to be a miracle is really a miracle. G - d is always able to change nature and at the time of the Chashmonaim He did. Thus, the Temple Menorah burnt for eight days instead of one. 

Chassidut sees the Chanukkah candles as Jewish Neshamot (souls). The light itself is considered to be the "Or HaGanuz - the Hidden Light" which G - d created on the very first day of Creation. This hidden light will only be back in the time of Meschiach (see Bnei Yissachar and others). The eight days are a spiritual journey of body and soul. Food, candles and the history represent body and meditation; joy, warmth and light represent the soul. 

The light of Chanukkah has the power to reach every single Jew, no matter how far he is from his Jewish roots. His soul (Neshama) still contains the spark which enables him to connect directly to G - d (Rabbi Shmuel Bozorowsky, the present Admor of Chassidut Slonim in Jerusalem). This spark always remains with a Jew, even after his death. At the time of the resurrection, the spark will come to life again (Bnei Yissachar). 

The Sefat Emet (one of the previous Rebbes of Chassidut Gur) considers each Chanukkah as a spiritual renewal. Especially for the Jews in the Diaspora. The Chanukkah light reminds them of their Jewish identity and, at the same time, of the difficulties of living in the Diaspora. The war of the Maccabim shows us that we should never give up hope because we Jews have the spiritual power to change everything. G - d can change nature any time and bring us the Ge'ulah. 

Have a great and spiritual Chanukkah wherever you are - Chanukkah Sameach !

Chassidic Rebbes on Chanukkah

Chanukkah Song

A Jew should never give up Hope

Seen in Bnei Brak

Photo: Miriam Woelke

B"H

We all know the Chanukkah story where the Jews, under the leadership of the Maccabim, fought the Greeks and eventually freed the Second Temple from foreign idol - worship. The actual Chanukkah miracle, however, was the incident with the oil which miraculous lastet for about a week. 

Of course, on Chanukkah, we all look at the historical side of the holiday but what we should not forget is looking much deeper into it. Become aware of our Jewish spiritual side within us. Become aware of our Jewish powers and, as soon as we start using them, we are able to gain the impossible because G - d is on our side.

This is what we should learn from the Chanukkah story. Never to give up, no matter what is happening ! The Talmud Tractate Berachot 10 teaches us that a Jew should never give up even if the sword is already at his throat. Sometimes our enemies appear to be much stronger than us. Look at Iran, Syria or the entire Arab world today. On the other hand, G - d can easily cause the downfall of our enemies and suddenly it is us rejoicing over them.

The JEWISH holiday CHANUKKAH

B”H 

On Tuesday night, December 20th, 2011, we are going to light the first Chanukkah candle this year. I want to use the opportunity to point out the fact that CHANUKKAH is an entirely JEWISH holiday and it seems ridiculous when especially Christians trying to claim the holiday for themselves. Other religions, and Christianity is another foreign religion, have absolutely nothing to do with Chanukkah !!!  The Maccabim were fighting against any kind of idol - worship and when Christians try celebrating Chanukkah they actually celebrate against themselves.:-)

The revolt of the Maccabim / Jews against the evil Greek occupation in Israel is teaching us several things. Among others

1. To be proud of our Jewish religion and heritage

and 

2. Not to follow any idol - worship in this world. Not to follow any false Meshiach, as the Christians do. If the Maccabim were alive today, they would fight Christian missionaries in Israel the same way, as they once fought the Greeks. 

Chassidut BELZ in Jerusalem lighting the Chanukkiah. 

The Maccabeats on Chanukkah

B"H

On Tuesday night, 20 December 2011, we are going to light the first Chanukkah candle this year. As a little preparation the Jewish boygroup MACCABEATS:

The Maccabeats Chanukkah song 5771 / 2010 

Chanukkah 5772 / 2011:

The latest Maccabeats song "Mircacle"

Chanukkah is ahead !

The MACCABEATS are coming to Israel

B"H

The American University Yeshiva guys "MACCABEATS" are giving their first concert in Israel. The Jewish students became extremely famous through their Chanukkah video.
See a TV report about the MACCABEATS

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UXullWyYbO0

and their famous video on Youtube:

It looks like finally we are getting a real Jewish boy group !

The Sufganiot Crime Scene

Photo: Chadrei HaCharedim