Hanukkah begins this year on December 1st, at sundown. Be
honest. When I say “Hanukkah,” the first thing you think of is
the Adam Sandler song, talking about “eight crazy nights.” If
you are a little more connected to Jewish culture, you may also
think about a dreidel or potato latkes (pancakes). While it’s
commonly called the “Festival of Lights,” a better translation
is “Dedication.” Being Jewish (circumcised at 8 days, Bar
Mitzvah at age 13) and a Christ-follower (for over 15 years),
I’d like to give a brief explanation of this holiday, and why
it’s a meaningful opportunity to help me worship the Lord.
Here’s the story of Hanukkah: In the 2nd century BC, Antiochus
Epiphanes gained control over parts of the Middle East,
including Judea (Israel). He erected an altar to Zeus in the
Temple in Jerusalem, and sacrificed pigs there, which are
unclean to Jews. The Maccabee family led a revolt, finally
liberating Jerusalem and the Temple in 165 BC. Before God could
be properly worshiped in the Temple, it had to be