Like other Jews around the world, we celebrate Hanukkah at Machar. The Bible does not explicitly mention Hanukkah as a holiday, but it is linked to very specific historical events that occurred around the year 165 BCE. A group of Jewish religious fundamentalist called the Maccabees defeated their Syrian Greek rulers. Hanukkah marks the Maccabees’ rededication of the Temple in Jerusalem. This struggle also involved a group of Jews who sought to make Jewish life more Hellenistic, or culturally Greek. The events of the revolt probably are recorded in the Bible, in the coded apocalyptic language and visions recorded in the Book of Daniel, but that section has had little impact on how we mark the holiday.
At Machar, we recognize that most modern Jews are a little bit more like the liberal Jews against whom the Maccabees fought. However, we also know that the events of Hanukkah involve more than just a question of religious fundamentalism. They involve human power solving problems and fighting for freedom from oppression, and the holiday points out the importance of bravery and dedication to a cause.
We know that Hanukkah is a mixed bag. Most Humanistic Jews don’t believe the story of the oil lasting for eight days. But Hanukkah is another story of the Jewish fight for survival and for freedom that resonates in some way for most Humanistic Jews. It is that part of the story that we celebrate, while also acknowledging that the Maccabees themselves would not have particularly liked most humanistic Jews.
The long and short of it is: no. Along with Passover, Hanukkah is the most often-celebrated Jewish holiday among American Jews. One reason is that Hanukkah falls near Christmas, and that timing has given it greater visibility for American Jews. Hanukkah’s focus on freedom resonates well among American Jews because freedom is the foundational concept of the United States as a country. Hanukkah is widely celebrated because it’s easy to celebrate: you don’t have to go to a synagogue to celebrate the holiday – what you really need is a Hanukkah menorah and candles.
Machar believes that what Jews do defines what’s important to Jews. Today, many more Jews celebrate Hanukkah than most other Jewish holidays, and that makes Hanukkah a major Jewish
holiday. Unlike the High Holidays, Hanukkah doesn’t mandate specific practices and limit work, but that doesn’t reduce its importance. It is important for American Jews, for whom Hanukkah is a major holiday. And so, it’s a major holiday at Machar!
Machar celebrates Hanukkah very much like Jews everywhere celebrate it. We light the chanukiyyah, the Hanukkah menorah; we eat fried foods like potato latkes and sufganiyot (an Israeli donut with filling); play dreidel games; give gifts; gather as a community to remember the events of the Maccabean revolt; and celebrate our shared values of freedom and courage. When we light the Hanukkah menorah, we use Humanistic blessings. We often also recite dedications specific to each new day of the holiday, which allows us to focus our attention on the values that we find the most important as Humanistic Jews.
Like many congregations, we don’t gather on all eight days of Hanukkah. Over the last few years, however, our rabbi has produced videos for each night of Hanukkah that include a historical or practical discussion of some aspect of the holiday, along with blessings recited while lighting the Hanukkah menorah. You can watch the candle lighting videos on the Hanukkah Candle Lighting 2025 YouTube playlist. You can also read Machar’s guide to Humanistic Jewish Hanukkah candle lighting here.
Unlike traditional Hanukkah celebrations, Machar’s celebrations focus on the story’s human elements. Over the years, we’ve held our celebrations in numerous places. In 2021, we celebrated it in the Silver Spring Civic Building with an award ceremony for U.S. Representative Jamie Raskin in conjunction with the Society for Humanistic Judaism. In recent years, we’ve celebrated Hanukkah together with several other congregations with whom we collaborate on educational, social action, and other projects.