This year, as we light the HanukkahThe holiday which celebrates the rededication of the Temple in Jerusalem following its conquest by the Syrians in 165 BCE. The holiday is celebrated by lighting candles in a hanukiyah oon each of eight nights. Other customs include the eating of fried foods such as latkes (potato pancakes) and sufganiot (jelly donuts), playing dreidl (a gambling game with a spinning top), and, in present day America, gift giving. candles, let us transform the darkness from this past year into light.
Ritualwell offers these additional blessings to be recited throughout our Hanukkah celebration. With each new candle may we be reminded of a slice of our universe calling out for this light, so that we may send this light to the people and places so in need of illumination.
Whether these blessings are recited in addition to or instead of the traditional candle lighting blessings, whether a different prayer is recited each night, or whether you choose to focus on one specific blessing throughout the holiday, our hope is that these prayers allow us to name the darkness that clouds our vision, and will remind us of the divine spark that dwells within each of us, as we rededicate ourselves to do our part to increase this light throughout the world.
First Night: Bringing light to the darkness created by the global refugee crisis.
Blessed are You, SOURCE OF REFUGE, who shelters us under your wings and who teaches us the value of welcoming the stranger.
Second Night: Bringing light to the darkness of the indignity of the wage crisis.
Blessed are You, PROVIDER, who calls us to provide a living wage so that every person has the opportunity to support themselves and their family.
Third Night: Bringing light to the darkness of our climate crisis.
Blessed are You, LIFE OF ALL THE WORLDS, who turns us away from destructive habits and who teaches us to preserve our earth for future generations.
Fourth Night: Bringing light to the darkness of racial injustice.
Blessed are You, SUPERNAL ADVOCATE, who testifies to the tragic state of race relations in our country and who calls us to create a nation where all are judged according to the content of their character, not the color of their skin.
Fifth Night: Bringing light to the darkness of antisemitism.
Blessed are You, ROCK OF ISRAELLit. ''the one who struggles with God.'' Israel means many things. It is first used with reference to Jacob, whose name is changed to Israel (Genesis 32:29), the one who struggles with God. Jacob's children, the Jewish people, become B'nai Israel, the children of Israel. The name also refers to the land of Israel and the State of Israel., who gives us strength to hold fast to our beliefs and the courage to openly celebrate our heritage and traditions.
Sixth Night: Bringing light to the darkness of the Israeli/Palestinian conflict.
Blessed are You, SHELTER OF PEACE, who shepherds us to the path of safety, dignity, and self-determination for all who dwell in the holy land.
Seventh Night: Bringing light to the darkness caused by random violence at home and abroad.
Blessed are You, PILLAR OF STRENGTH, who mourns with us the loss of culture and history, strengthens us to defend the sanctity of human life, and who compels us to shield our world from further senseless violence.
Eighth Night: Shining our light throughout the year.
Blessed are You, CREATOR OR LIGHT, who has placed within us your divine spark and who inspires us to pursue justice and seek peace.Â
