The miracle of Hanukkah
On the evening of December 14, at nightfall, the first candle was lit on the chanukiah, the eight-branched candelabra. This marked the beginning of the Hanukkah festival! But what is actually celebrated during Hanukkah? And what does it all have to do with light and oil? We answer these questions in our article. Furthermore, we share a delicious recipe for latkes, fried potato pancakes that can be enjoyed with sour cream or applesauce, for example.
Translated from Hebrew, Hanukkah means “dedication” or “inauguration” – because, among other things, the festival commemorates the rededication of the Temple in Jerusalem on the 25th of Kislev 3597 (corresponding to 164 BCE).
At that time, the Seleucids, a Hellenistic ruling dynasty, ruled over the province of Judea, which included Jerusalem. They conquered the city, plundered the temple’s treasure, and dedicated it to the Greek god Zeus – an act that desecrated the temple. The Seleucid king Antiochus IV Epiphanes (175-164 BCE) attempted to hellenize the Jewish population and suppressed those who tried to resist his efforts, even with violence.
This led to an uprising led by a family of priests known today as the Maccabees. The uprising lasted more than two decades, but it had only been three years when the Maccabees succeeded in liberating the Temple in Jerusalem. These events are described in the so-called Books of Maccabees. The first Book of Maccabees tells, among other things, of the leader of the uprising, Judah, who was given the nickname Maccabees. Judah came from a family of high priests. Together with his brothers, he moved to Jerusalem to cleanse and rededicate the desecrated temple.
This is a page from the book “Chanukkah-Büchlein” by Paul Hannemann and Heinz Wallenberg, published by Josef Jastrow in Berlin. It belonged to Eva Labby, who was born Eva Lammfromm in Augsburg in 1929 and now lives in Portland, Oregon, USA.his is a page from the book “Chanukkah-Büchlein” by Paul Hannemann and Heinz Wallenberg, published by Josef Jastrow in Berlin. It belonged to Eva Labby, who was born Eva Lammfromm in Augsburg in 1929 and now lives in Portland, Oregon, USA.
What happened after the reconquest of Jerusalem is described in the Talmud: After the temple had been reclaimed, only a small bottle of oil bearing the seal of the high priest was found, which was needed to light the menorah in the temple. This bottle was so small that it would only last for one day. And then a great miracle happened: the oil lasted not for one day, but for eight days – until new oil was available. In memory of this miracle, Hanukkah is celebrated for eight days. Each evening at nightfall, another light is lit on the eight-branched candelabrum.
This is a page from the book “Chanukkah-Büchlein” by Paul Hannemann and Heinz Wallenberg, published by Josef Jastrow in Berlin. It belonged to Eva Labby, who was born Eva Lammfromm in Augsburg in 1929 and now lives in Portland, Oregon, USA.
Since oil plays a crucial role in the story of Hanukkah, today’s traditions also include foods fried in oil, such as sufganiyot (doughnuts) and latkes (potato pancakes). We would like to share one of our favorite recipes for latkes with you here.
Have fun trying it out and happy holidays – Hanukkah sameach!
Latkes
INGREDIENTS
5 medium-sized potatoes
1 medium-sized onion
1/2 teaspoon salt
3 tablespoons wheat flour (any type of flour is suitable)
A little pepper
Oil for frying
PREPARATION
Peel the potatoes and onion and grate them coarsely.
Place the mixture in a large sieve over a bowl, add salt, and knead well to squeeze out as much liquid as possible.
Pour the liquid out of the bowl, but keep the white, starchy layer that has settled at the bottom – it acts as a binding agent and prevents the patties from falling apart.
Add the grated potatoes and onion to the starch in the bowl.
Add the flour and pepper and mix everything well (preferably with your hands).
Heat about 1 cm of oil in a large pan.
Form flat patties about 5–7 cm in diameter and fry for a few minutes until golden brown on both sides.
Enjoy!