This year KKSY will celebrate Hanukka from the evening of December 25th 2024 until January 2nd 2025. Hanukka is an eight-day festival that commemorates the Jewish victory under Judah Maccabee against the Greek Emperor Antiochus IV Epiphanes who wanted to end Jewish religious study and practice. The Talmud relates that Jews celebrate for eight days because after the battle the community returned to rededicate the Temple in Jerusalem and found only enough oil to light the menorah for one night but a miracle occurred and the oil actually lasted a full eight nights.

Hanukka is a holiday that shows that throughout history, various rulers have tried to throttle Jewish worship. It shows how important maintaining the right to worship has been for Jews in all historical periods. To commemorate the victory over the wicked Antiochus the KKSY community lights a menorah each night starting with one candle on December 25th 2024 and adding an additional candle to the left on each succeeding night until January 1st 2025.  The person who lights the menorah intones blessings, one of which thanks the Ruler of the universe for giving deliverance at this season to the Jews in the Maccabee period.

Hanukka is a happy time; celebrations include games and songs. Today, KKSY’s children are proud that they can enjoy religious freedom. They appreciate the learning opportunities they have, and they and their parents hope for enriched opportunities in the future.