3 minute read
The Festival of Lights
The Festival of Lights
Rosanne Fortier - News Correspondent
Hanukkah starts at nightfall on Dec. 7 and continues until Dec. 15. Chabad.org states Hanukkah (Chanukah) is the Jewish eight-day and is usually celebrated with a nightly menorah lighting, special prayers and fried foods.
When asked how they honour this occasion, Vegreville resident Mary McCauley-Forrester said, “For me personally, I celebrate Hanukkah as a Latter Day Saint Jew. I am ethically Jewish on my mother's side. I continue to celebrate because of the tradition of my grandmother. She watched 120 members of her family die during WWII and in the Holocaust. She endured many traumatic experiences during those years and she had to hide her identity and ethnicity to survive even while in Canada. She lost her faith and in return, the family lost our understanding and respect for our traditions and a cycle of intergenerational trauma began to form.
I only discovered my ethnicity in 2017 after an at-home DNA test was given to me for Christmas. Since then I have been able to discover who I am and began a journey to heal my family! I light my menorah every Hanukkah because my grandmother couldn’t!
My family celebrates by lighting the menorah at sunset, reading books to help us understand what the holiday means and remembering our ancestors who came before us! We bake and eat challah bread! I am trying to learn more Jewish recipes both for the holidays and for traditional values but I need a mentor who can help me. Unfortunately, to my knowledge, we are the only Jewish family currently living in Vegreville.”
In a press release from the Alberta Government on December 7, Premier Danielle Smith expressed, “As Hanukkah’s eight days begin, “I would like to send my best wishes to Alberta’s Jewish community.
One of the most widely observed Jewish holidays, Hanukkah for many occurs during the year’s coldest and shortest days.
But Hannukah reminds us that when it is most dark is when light is about to be seen, and that the oil that was supposed to last one day, a small light of hope, miraculously lasted for eight days. And that glow gives us hope and reminds us to reach out to others and brighten their lives.
“This year, Hanukkah celebrations for many Jewish families will not be as bright and celebratory. For all those struggling and mourning, we hope that the opportunity to join with family, friends, and community helps overcome some of that darkness. And we wish you all a future of light, love, peace, and security. “Chag Hanukkah sameach!”
