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Hanukkah: Visibility, Memory, and the Light of Commitment

12/12/2025

Hanukkah, the Festival of Lights, marks the rededication of the Temple in Jerusalem in the 2nd century BCE after its desecration by the Seleucid empire, who heavily suppressed public exhibitions of Judaism and instead exalted their own religious iconography.

Celebrated for eight days from the 25th of Kislev (sundown Dec. 14 to sundown Dec. 22, 2025), Hanukkah recalls the miracle of the oil that lasted eight days instead of one, a symbol of hope in dark times. But Hanukkah also carries a civic dimension, commemorating the victory of the Maccabees over oppression and the freedom to live and worship openly.

Over time, the celebration has moved from the private to the public sphere: from lighting the hanukkiah (the nine-branched candelabrum used for this holiday) in the family window, in recent times it has become a visible symbol of Jewish life in big cities with large public lightings in city squares. As a result, Hanukkah today has both a public and a private dimension in Jewish life.

This evolution reflects one of the principles from the Guidelines for Fostering Jewish Life: creating sacred spaces and times that affirm Jewish presence, identity and belonging in the public realm. Public hanukkiot lightings affirms Jewish presence as an essential part of Europe’s cultural and historical identity. Beyond commemorating the past, it opens spaces for new connections and fosters dialogue between the Jewish story and wider society. Thus, these celebrations can be seen to promote both intercultural understanding and the renewal of community life.

Today, Hanukkah is perhaps the easiest Jewish holiday to celebrate publicly. The glow of the hanukkiah has become a familiar sight across Europe, a peaceful assertion of Jewish visibility. Each candle represents not only the ancient miracle but the ongoing commitment to resilience and shared responsibility.

Hanukkah acts as a reminder that light is not only a symbol of hope for the future, but a bold statement of intent in the present: a bright, proud reminder of Jews right to thrive in the public space. If you want to learn more about this heartwarming holiday and how it can stimulate your local community, check out this online learning resource we produced: Rediscovering Hanukkah.

Wishing all a bright and meaningful Hanukkah.