The Festival of Lights

Chanukah, originating from the Hebrew word for “dedication,” begins on the 25th of Kislev on the Hebrew calendar — usually in November or December — every year. Often called the Festival of Lights, Chanukah celebrates the victory of the few against the many, the powerless over the mighty and the light over the darkness.

In order to understand the story of Chanukah, one has to know the history of the land of Israel from more than 2,000 years ago, when it was part of the Syrian-Greek Empire and dominated by Syrian rulers of the dynasty of the Seleucids.

Antiochus III, the king of Syria from 3538 to 3574 (222-186 B.C.E.), had waged a war with Egyptian Pharaoh Ptolemy over the possession of the land of Israel. He was victorious and Israel was annexed to his empire.

At the beginning of his reign, he was favorably disposed toward the Jewish people and afforded them some privileges. But his son Antiochus IV was not as benevolent when began his reign. Desiring to unify his kingdom through a common religion and culture, Antiochus IV tried to root out the Jewish religion by suppressing all Jewish laws.

At the same time, he was engaged in a war against Egypt. But messengers from Rome arrived and commanded him to stop the war, and he was forced to yield in the midst of a successful campaign. Meanwhile, in Jerusalem, a rumor spread that a serious accident had befallen Antiochus IV and thinking that he was dead, a group of Jewish people rebelled against the High Priest Menelaus, that he had appointed, and drove him from the Holy Temple.

The festivities include foods eaten in Israel and around the world on Chanukah like Latkes and Sufganiyahs, deep-fried jam-filled doughnuts.

Antiochus returned from Egypt enraged by Roman interference with his ambitions and when he heard what had taken place in Jerusalem, he ordered his army to fall upon the Jews. Thousands of Jews were killed, according to the story.

Antiochus then enacted a series of harsh decrees against the Jews — Jewish worship was forbidden; the scrolls of the law were confiscated and burned and Sabbath rest and dietary laws were prohibited under penalty of death. Antiochus’s men went from village to village to force inhabitants to worship Greek gods. Only one refuge for the Jewish people remained and that was the hills and caves of Judea.

One day men sent by Antiochus arrived in the village of Modiin, where Mattityahu lived. The men built an altar in the marketplace of the village and demanded that Mattityahu offer sacrifices to the Greek gods upon it. Mattityahu refused and a fight ensued that resulted in Mattityahu and his sons and followers killing many of the men sent by Antiochus and chasing the rest away.

Mattityahu knew that Antiochus would be enraged when he found out and would expeditiously punish him and his followers. So Mattityahu left Modiin and fled together with his sons and followers to the hills of Judea. Before his death, Mattityahu called his sons together and urged them to continue to fight under the leadership of his son Judah, who was called "Maccabee.”

Antiochus sent his General Apolonius to wipe out Judah and his followers, the Maccabees. But the Maccabees defeated the Syrians. Antiochus sent out another expedition which was also defeated. He then sent an army consisting of more than 40,000 men, according to the story, to sweep the land. Though outnumbered and with less resources, the Maccabees prevailed and then turned their attention toward Jerusalem to liberate the Holy Temple.

The Chabad Center provides attendees with menorahs, candles and dreidels that they can take home to celebrate the rest of the 8-day festival.

The Maccabees entered the Temple and cleared it of Greek idols and cleansed it. Then Judah and his followers rebuilt its altar and fashioned a new menorah — the gold candelabrum whose seven branches represented knowledge and creation. When they went to light it, though, they found only a small cruse of pure olive oil that was sufficient for only one day. But by a miracle of G-d, the story goes, it continued to burn for eight days. According to the Talmud, one of Judaism’s central texts, Judah Maccabee and the other Jews who took part in the rededication of the Second Temple witnessed a miracle when the flames continued flickering for eight nights. This event inspired the Jewish sages to proclaim a yearly eight-day festival, Chanukkah.

The Message of Chanukah, according to the Rabbi Ari Weingarten of the Chabad Center of San Marcos, is a powerful one.

”It is a message of religious freedom, freedom to be, and freedom to serve your religion,” Weingarten said.

The message is also one of spreading light, according to Weingarten.

“A candle has a lot of spiritual qualities,” Weingarten said. “A candle creates light and the more you share it, it doesn't take away from it. You could share goodness and be good to people, kind to people and it doesn't take anything from you. A little candle can light a dark room and that's the message: A little goodness expels much darkness.”

Weingarten said, in America, the Jewish community doesn’t have to struggle for acceptance and tolerance as hard as they have throughout history because religious freedom and cultural acceptance have become a part of the culture.

“In earlier times, people came from the old country, and they, like a melting pot, had to try to fit in,” Weingarten said. “Today, it is different. Multiculturalism is flourishing, religious freedom and acceptance is what America stands for — which is in line with the theme of Chanukah. ”

Weingarten said, in keeping in the spirit of the Festival of Light, The Chabad Center invites the community to join them in the menorah lighting on the Hays County Courthouse Square on Sunday, Dec. 22 at 5 p.m.

The celebration will include the lighting of the first candle on the menorah, music, children’s activities, traditional Chanukah foods and a limited number of free menorahs, candles and dreidels available to take home.

Ari Weingarten and his wife Chaya opened The Chabad of San Marcos 3 years ago to help serve the Jewish community of Central Texas and Texas State University. They offer Hebrew classes for children, Judaism classes, Torah studies and commemorate the Jewish holidays as a community.

The Weingartens have hosted the center out of their home for several years and are in the process of moving to a new location on South Loop in San Marcos. Weingarten said they plan to open the new center in early 2020 and, with the move, they hope to expand their community resources.

“We're looking forward to keep on growing the Jewish community and to make this place a hub for Jewish life,” Weingarten said. “Anybody seeking to learn and to connect with their heritage is welcome.”

For more information about the Chabad Center of San Marcos, call 512-3637015 or email info@jewishsmtx.com.