The holiday of Hanukkah is based on an all too familiar story: those wishing Jewish destruction failed and so we celebrate. But the hatred in the Hanukkah narrative is different. Antiochus and his administration were singularly focused on diminishing Judaism’s very essence, destroying Jewish life. He outlawed circumcision, studying Torah and keeping kosher. Author Dara Horn calls this “Hanukkah antisemitism.” This form of hatred demands sublimation of Jewish culture and civilization to satisfy the
majority rule. Horn points out that the focus of its derision changes through the centuries while the intent remains the same.
The antidote to Antiochus and villains in our own time is the same: to live loud and proud Jewish lives, embracing what is singular and beautiful about our tradition. That is how we bring light to dark times.
