Hanukkah, Judaism’s eight-day festival of lights, begins this year on Christmas Day, which has only happened four times since 1900.
For some rabbis, the intersection of two religious holidays provides an auspicious occasion for interfaith interaction.
“This can be a great opportunity for learning, collaboration and community,” said Rabbi Josh Stanton, vice president of the Jewish Federation of North America. He oversees interfaith initiatives involving the 146 local and regional Jewish federations his organization represents.
“The goal is not to proselytize; it’s deeply learning from each other,” he said. “Others see you as you see yourself.”
One example of the coming together: the Chickasaw Party, hosted Thursday night by several Houston Jewish organizations, bringing together members of the city’s Latino and Jewish communities for a “cross-cultural celebration.” Venue: Houston Holocaust Museum.
The food on offer was a mix of the two cultures – like a latke with guacamole, chili con queso and pico de gallo, as well as applesauce and sour cream. Donut-like pastries included sufganiyot—a Hanukkah special—and buñuelo, and a mariachi band enthralled with a rendition of the Jewish folk song, “Hava Nagila.”
“What really unites us is our shared values — our faith, our families, our heritage,” said Erika Winsor, public affairs officer for the Jewish Federation of Greater Houston.
Rabbi Peter Tarlow, executive director of the Houston Center for Latino-Jewish Affairs, said the first Chicanooka event 12 years ago drew 20 people, while this year’s crowd numbered about 300 and could have been larger if attendance was not limited. He said the partygoers were a roughly equal mix of Latinos — some of them Jews of Latino descent — and “Anglo” Jews.
“There is too much hatred, too much division, both against Jews and against Latinos,” Tarlow said. “It’s a way we can come together and show that we support each other.”
Although Hanukkah is meant to be a cheerful, solemn holiday, the rabbis note that it comes this year amid ongoing conflicts involving Israeli forces in the Middle East and concerns about widespread incidents of anti-Semitism.
Rabbi Moshe Hauer, executive vice president of the Orthodox Union, acknowledged that many Jews may feel anxious about Hanukkah this year. But he expressed confidence that most would keep the key tradition of lighting candles on menorah candelabras and displaying them where they can be seen through home windows and in public places.
“Our community’s position — no harshness, just determination — is that the menorah should be in our windows, in a place where the public can see it,” Hauer said.
“It’s less for us, the Jewish community, than for the world,” he added. “We must share this light. Placing the menorah in the window is our job to be a light among the nations.”
Hauer agreed with Stanton that this year’s coincidence of Hanukkah and Christmas is “a unique opportunity to see and experience the diversity of America and the diversity of its faith communities.”
Rabbi Moti Seligson, director of public relations for Chabad-Lubavitch, noted that this year marks the 50th anniversary of the public lighting of the menorah. It was December 8, 1974. — as part of the initiative started by the leader of the Lubavitchers, Rabbi Menachem M. Schneerson – a menorah was lit near Independence Hall in Philadelphia, where the Liberty Bell was located at that time.
“Hanukkah is a celebration of religious freedom, so it’s not taken for granted,” Seligson said. “One of the ways to do this is to celebrate it publicly.”
He said Chabad will organize about 15,000 public menorah lightings this year through its many branches around the world.
“There are certainly some concerns,” Seligson said, referring to concerns about anti-Semitism and political divisiveness. “Some question whether Jews will celebrate as openly as in the past.”
“What I’m hearing is that we can’t do that,” he added. “The only way to get through these tough times is to stay stronger, prouder and shine brighter than ever.”
Stanton agreed.
“In our history, we have experienced easy times and difficult times,” he said. “Security for us does not come from hiding. It follows from the fact that they stretched out.”
Why is Hanukkah so late this year? The answer is simple: the Jewish calendar is based on lunar cycles and is out of sync with the Gregorian calendar, which has Christmas on December 25th. Hanukkah always begins on the 25th day of the Jewish month of Kislev, a date that falls between late November and late December on the Gregorian calendar.
The last time Hanukkah started on Christmas Day was in 2005. But the term “Chryzmuka”, which means the coincidence of two holidays, became a popular term earlier. The term was further popularized in 2003 when Seth Cohen’s character on the television drama The O.C. adopted a fusion holiday as a tribute to his Jewish father and Protestant mother.
This season, the Hallmark Channel premiered a new Christmas movie called Leah’s Perfect Gift, which follows a young Jewish woman who has enjoyed Christmas from afar and gets a chance to experience it up close when her boyfriend invites her to spend the holidays with his family. Spoiler alert: it’s not all smooth sailing.
Despite such storylines suggesting a fascination with Christmas among some Jews, Stanton says studies conducted by Jewish federations reveal a surge of Jews seeking deeper connections to their traditions and community, as well as a surge of Jews voluntarily participating. in charity work during the holidays.
“It’s an opportunity to share with others how we celebrate Hanukkah,” he said. “It’s a celebration of freedom, of hope, to proudly show that you’re Jewish.” ___
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