Chanukah in the RGV

THE FESTIVAL OF LIGHTS

CHANUKAH IN THE RGV

By Dr. Kimberly Selber

Chanukah, the joyful eight-day festival of lights for Jews worldwide, celebrates freedom from persecution, tenacity, and, most importantly, belief.

THE STORY OF CHANUKAH

It all started over 2,000 years ago when Antiochus the IV, who ruled over Syria in 174 BCE, believed he could unify his Kingdom through common religion and culture. Antiochus was a cruel ruler nicknamed Epimanes or the madman by a historian of his time, and Jewish worship was forbidden. Antiochus and his men went from village to village forcing the people to worship the pagan gods. Those who refused died as martyrs.

In the hills of Judea, a group of loyal and courageous Jews formed legions led by Judah the Strong. Antiochus sent his general to wipe out Judah and his followers, the Maccabees. Though the Syrians outnumbered the Maccabees, they were defeated by the smaller band. Outraged, Antiochus sent more than 40,000 men to defeat the small group of Maccabees. Clearly outnumbered again, Judah proclaimed, “Let us fight unto death in defense of our souls and our Temple.” Miraculously, the Maccabees were victorious.

The Maccabees then went to Jerusalem to liberate the city and to clear the Temple of idols, for, under Syrian rule, the temple had been dedicated to Jupiter. The altar was rebuilt and dedicated in 139 BCE. To reopen the Temple, the eternal flame, the light that burns before the sanctuary, needed to be lit, but just a small cruse of pure olive oil was available. This small amount would only be enough to light the golden menorah for one day. Instead of waiting eight days to purify more oil, the Maccabees had faith and truly believed that the light would last, and so lit the menorah anyway.

By a miracle, the oil lasted for eight days.

Chanukah, which means dedication in Hebrew, is celebrated for eight consecutive days commemorating the recovery of Jerusalem, the rededication of the Second Temple, and the miracle that happened there.

CHANUKAH CELEBRATION IN THE RIO GRANDE VALLEY

This year, Chanukah begins at sunset on Dec. 18. Members of Temple Emanuel in McAllen will gather at the synagogue with their family menorahs to light the first candle together. “The children will perform, and we’ll have food,” said Rabbi Nathan Farb. “It is a wonderful celebration.”

CHANUKAH: WORDS TO KNOW

DREIDEL

During the tyrannical rule of Antiochus, the Rabbis were not permitted to study the Torah, which consists of the first five books of the Hebrew Bible (the Old Testament). So in secret, they would gather in small groups with a lookout. If any of Antiochus’s men came by, the Rabbis would hide their scrolls. A group of Rabbis sitting around would look suspicious, so they would play the dreidel game - it was quick and easy to spin the top and appear engaged in the game.

The dreidle is a four-sided spinning top used to play gambling games with either candy or real coins. Each side of the dreidel bares a letter from the Hebrew alphabet. These are mnemonic for the rules of a gambling game and, when said together, say, “A great miracle happened here.”

Today children play this game with chocolate coins or candy.

GELT

CHOCOLATE COINS After the dedication of the Second Temple, a commemorative coin was minted. Today, chocolate coins symbolize this special coin and the coins used to play the dreidel game.

GIFTS

Giving gifts at Chanukah is a relatively new tradition beginning in the late 19th century. Traditionally, children were given gelt (chocolate coins) during the Chanukah celebration. But, according to Jonathan Sarna, professor of American Jewish history at Brandeis University, in the late 1800s, there was a shift to giving gifts at Chanukah. This shift came as Christmas became a national holiday in America.

FRIED FOODS

Most holidays have traditional foods, and Chanukah is no different. This holiday is about oil, so fried foods in olive oil are the treats of choice—latkes (potato pancakes), donuts, and even chicken. Latkes are the most common foods associated with Chanukah. The topping, however, is a point of playful contention. “The ‘correct’ topping is apple sauce. But my wife will tell you it is sour cream,” said Rabbi Farb, chuckling. While these two are the most common, one does not have to be constrained with the accouterments on their latke.

Larry and Patty Fallek Larry and Patty Fallek will attend the celebration at Temple Emanuel as they do every year. Larry’s family was part of the first congregation at Temple Emanuel in the 1940s. “We used to go to Weslaco when I was very young. It took forever to get there.” Fallek recalls with a chuckle. “Temple Emanuel was established in 1948 with 28 families. I think seven of those families were my relatives.”

Patty Fallek, who grew up in San Antonio, has an entire room dedicated to their Jewish heritage. The beautiful collection of art, menorahs, and dreidels is displayed year-round. “Each one has a story,” Patty says. “This Chagal lithograph found us when we were in New York visiting our daughter,” she says with a mischievous smile.

Chabad RGV will host its annual giant menorah lighting with Mayor Javier Villalobos at Archer Park in McAllen on Tuesday, Dec. 20, at 4:30 p.m., and there will be a concert by Israeli singer Yoel Sharabi. You can enjoy hot latkes, kosher hotdogs, rides, and games. This festival is open to the public.

Visitors who wish to attend the Temple Emanuel service on Dec. 18th are asked to contact the office in advance at 956-686-9432 or email: office@temple-emanuel.com to introduce themselves.