Hanukkah

“We’ve come to chase away the darkness, carrying light and fire in our hands…” goes the modern Israeli song. Hanukkah is a time to celebrate the tiny miracle of oil and light, and the spirit of the Jewish people fighting to preserve our identity throughout the course of history. In addition to lighting Hanukkah candles, the rituals of this holiday can be enriched by innovative Hanukkah practices that celebrate women’s connections to the Hanukkah story, that focus on healing, and that offer an inspired role for gift giving.

Latest Rituals

Lights Out

“We created this mayhem in the night time / because our hearts were full of fear,” and now we must live in its shadow.

climate crisis, darkness, democracy, Gaza, Israel, justice, light, planet, sadness, Ukraine

Close-up of seven lit candles with melting wax in a dark setting.

Kislev – the Coming of the Light

“Hers is the only festival empowered to span two moons.”

candles, hanukkah, kislev, latkes, light, moon, Tevet, winter

A branch with small leaves is silhouetted against a bright full moon in a blue night sky.

Candles I Remember

“The candles glow, tender, bright, something like your presence in my heart.”

candle lighting, grief, hanukkah, light, loss, love, marriage, mourning, relationships

a hanukkiah with lit candles

Hanukkah Circle Meditation for Trust

A teaching and meditation to enter the month of Kislev

dreams, energy, kabbalah, kislev, meditation, miracles, rest, sleep

A clear night sky filled with stars above dark silhouettes of hills and a small lit building.

Let There Be Light

“In times of hatred, / let there be light. / In times of fear, let there be light…”

darkness, hanukkah, light, peace, prejudice

Four colorful candles with melting wax are burning, each flame glowing brightly in a dark setting.

Rosh Hodesh Tevet

Hag HaBanot, hanukkah, Judith

A woman in dark clothing gazes into a water basin, seeing her own reflection in the rippling water.

Forty-Four Perfect Candles

“This small blue box, / four inches tall, / holds forty-four candles.”

candle lighting, candles, hanukkah, Joseph, miracles

An open book with a ring placed at its center, colorful blurred objects in the background.

Light Candles Now

“Create new homes / And save the old ones. / Light candles, Now.”

candles, environment, gun safety, hanukkah, immigration, peace, social justice

Close-up of a row of lit oil candles with glowing flames against a dark background.

The Eighth Candle

“I see reflected in the light the faces of my family. / I see hope.”

antisemitism, hanukkah, Oct 7

Four lit candles with blue, orange, and yellow wax dripping down, set against a dark, blurred background.

A Light Eternal

“The story’s flame, its lesson bold: Through vast trials, the soul can soar / and the light will shine forevermore.”

candles, hanukkah

A row of lit candles in glass holders against a dark background.