Turn It Again: Torah Wisdom for Today
In Pirkei Avot, a book of maxims in the Mishnah, an ancient rabbi, Ben Bag-Bag said about Torah study, “Hafokh bah, va’Hafokh vah, d’khola bah.” Turn it over and over, for everything is in it. For two thousand years, that’s what Jews have done. Here is another turning.
Parshat Miketz 2024
The Miracle of Hanukkah in America
As a general rule, countries don’t celebrate their civil wars. Yes, they remember them, maybe even commemorate them, but those observances are rarely joyous. Leave it to the Jews to celebrate our worst civil war, Hanukkah, in which the anti-assimilationist Maccabees fought against the Hellenized Jews. Even though is a dark chapter in our history, Hanukkah is not about mourning.
To understand how this happened, it is worth reflecting on a 19th century historian, Zechariah Frankel, whose key insight that Judaism has a history through which it can be understood became an essential part of the Conservative movement. Frankel had a name for this understanding—“Positive Historical Judaism.” Nowadays, everyone simply assumes that Judaism has a history, but that merely highlights how successful Franke’s idea was. Frankel chose the word “positive” to underscore that even when we understand how Jewish customs and laws have evolved over time, we still are committed to upholding the beautiful practices that we inherited.
No holiday demonstrates Judaism’s development over time more than Hanukkah in America. The preeminent historian of American Judaism, Jonathan D. Sarna, reveals how Hanukkah, which is arguably the Jewish holiday most committed to preventing assimilation, ended up changing from a minor holiday into the most visible Jewish holiday because of assimilation.
It’s both an ironic and informative story. Even though the Maccabees actively opposed the Hellenization of Judaism in the 2nd century BCE, in 19th century America, the Jewish community responded to the centrality of Christmas by elevating Hanukkah. Those Jews had good intentions—they wanted to ensure that Jewish traditions remained vibrant and relevant to their children and they did so by reshaping the festive experience of Hanukkah so that it could proudly parallel Christmas.
On the one hand, raising up Hanukkah was definitely an act of assimilation. Yet is was not merely about imitation but also about identity reinforcement. By amplifying Hanukkah celebrations, American Jews could assert their distinct cultural and religious identity while simultaneously engaging with the broader national culture. This dual engagement allowed them to feel part of the larger society while maintaining their unique traditions. The elevation of Hanukkah was so successful, that it is nearly impossible to recapture how insignificant the holiday felt in previous eras. Only if we consider other minor observances, such as Pesach sheni (second Passover) or kiddush levana (the ceremonial blessing of the new moon), which most Jews may not even know about, can we get a sense of how marginal Hanukkah was.
In hindsight, we can see just how brilliant a move it was to rebrand Hanukkah in this way, for it gave tremendous visibility and recognition to American Jews. Our Festival of Lights has become an integral part of America’s winter holiday celebrations. I would even argue that although we are all shocked by how rapidly antisemitism has occurred, a great many good-hearted Americans are standing against this ancient hatred precisely because Hanukkah offers important insights that anyone can understand and appreciate: when the road is dark, it’s important to commit to light.
