Tell Us About Your Chanukah!

My Hannukahs(Januokahs en Ladino) have been spent in New York, Madrid, Mexico City and Tel Aviv. In Eretz Israel, Hannukah is a major celebration (holiday-vacation-time) where menorot are lit outside of the house or on a gate (perfect). Sufganyiot, bourekas, felafel predominant among Hannukah cuisine (sefardi mitzrahi style). Ke bien, tov meod, sababa. Reply

My highlight for Channukah 2023 is yet to come. I am expecting it between now and tomorrow. I know God never fails to show his miracles. Past Channukah I got my miracle on Day 1. So this year, am thinking God wants to do a Miracle grand finale or penultimate grand finale so I am excited.

My customized Channukah celebration was guided by Divine forces. For instance I subconsciously lighted to the candle right to left Day 1. Then left to right Day 2. Lo and behold I later read that it was actually done like that.

However I got the candle numberings wrong. I forgot the Shamash Candle, pardon my spelling, is a constant candle always. While the numbering is for the other candles. So the candles I lit were all short by one.

Maybe next year I will do it more accurately. Reply

I went to yeshiva high school and graduated back in 1976. We had religious classes every morning and secular classes til end of day.

I always thought of Hanukkah as 7 miracles because each day Judah awoke not knowing that the oil would burn another day. The significance of G-d creating the universe in 7 days is apparent at the end of 7 days. He keeps the oil burning, light shining in one action but it is recognized 7 times and each time Judah and his people get to be in awe of G-d's power and feel his presence personally. It is recognition to Judah that his successful battle against Antioch the 4th and the hellenestic jews was a resounding success not only because of might and fight but what is right. G-d said by virtue of his daily miracle of light that He is here in this Temple and in our hearts. He is within. To the point of a 7 day miracle I would ask about that idea and it would change the menorah. It also speaks to our 7 day week and would we celebrate a shabbat on day 7? Reply

We had our second night of Chanukah with our friends and 25 others. It was on Shabbat and we celebrated their daughter's 21st birthday. It was lots of fun with lots of good food, but my latkes are so much better. I make them gluten-free with sweet rice flour. :)

Just an aside, they didn't light the Chanukah candles BEFORE the Shabbat candles, which was a bit unnerving and they lit all the Chanukah candles before reciting the blessings.
But my husband and I lit them properly. Reply

I have gone many years without directly observing Chanukah, but this year I have been lighting the candles and saying the blessings, and bringing feelings of connection with G-d and other fellow Jews back into my heart, mind and soul. Reply