Hanukah means “dedication” and refers to the rededication of the sacred temple in Jerusalem in the year 164 BCE after it had been desecrated by the Greco-Syrians. Hannukah is an eight-day festival which is relatively minor compared to other Jewish Holidays such as Rosh Hashana, Yom Kippur and Passover, but because it takes place during the darkest time of the year, celebrates light and family, and occurs close to Christmas, it takes on more importance than one might imagine.
Hanukah is celebrated as a festival of standing true to one’s Jewish identity in the face of growing assimilation. In the last years, with the dangerous rise in antisemitic hate speech and violence against Jewish people, Hanukah takes on a special significance.
The Jewish student group at GU, the Jewish Bulldogs, celebrates Hanukah by lighting the menorah, playing dreidel games and eating the traditional potato pancakes (latkes) which commemorate the miracle of the oil in the temple lamp, which lasted eight full days.
Gonzaga wishes those who celebrate, a very happy Hanukah!
Original source can be found here.
