Hanukkah
IMAGINE YOUR CELL PHONE BATTERY WAS AT 6% AND LASTED 8 DAYS.
It all started with a war, some badass Maccabees, a ruined temple, and candle oil for one day that lasted eight. Add flickering candles, jelly donuts, latkes, and presents, and you’ve got yourself a heckuva holiday!
JewBelong’s Hanukkah Guide includes the traditional blessings, plus updated ones for each night that you’ll actually relate to, and a fun skit.
The hanukkah story
no, it's not just "jewish christmas"
So here’s the scoop. Antiochus (he’s the bad guy) was a Greek king around the time 165 BCE. (That’s 165 years before the year 0). Antiochus wanted all the people in Judea (what we now know as Israel) to be hellenized – in other words, to start acting like Greeks. What with all the Greek gods and sacrifices, it’s not surprising that the Jews said, “No freaking way!” This made Antiochus furious, so he had his army make a huge… mess of the temple in Jerusalem and to kill anyone who tried to stand in his way, which, of course, started a war…
The Jews who fought back were called the Maccabees, led by Judah Maccabee (a badass and also hot). It took a few years, and they were way outnumbered, but the Maccabees knew…
the oily miracle
of hanukkah.
Need a quick refresher on Hanukkah? This animated short goes over everything you need to know. This story is also featured as a skit in our Hanukkah booklet, so you can act it out with your loved ones this Hanukkah.
hanukkah essentials
WHEN YOU WANT TO IMPRESS
YOUR MOTHER-IN-LAW
menorah
gifts
fried foods
gelt
dreidel
Hanukkah Prayers and blessings
We’ve compiled the greatest hits; the most searched for Hanukkah blessings and prayers for you here. They are also in our booklet, get your copy today!
Blessing Over The Hanukkah Candles
Baruch atah Adonai, Eloheinu melech ha-olam, asher kidshanu bemitzvotav vitzivanu lehadlik neir shel Hanukkah.
Praised are You, God, Spirit of the Universe, who makes us holy through your commandments and commands us to light the Hanukkah candles.
Blessing For Hanukkah
Baruch atah Adonai, Eloheinu melech ha-olam, she’asah nisim la’avoteinu, bayamim haheim baziman hazeh.
Praised are you, God, Spirit of the Universe, who performed miracles for our ancestors in their day at this season.
The Shehecheyanu – Generic Prayer Of Gratitude
Traditionally, the Shehecheyanu, which is the prayer thanking God for bringing us to this moment, is recited only the first night. But I love the sentiment of the prayer, so recite it each night if you wish.
Baruch atah Adonai, Eloheinu melech ha-olam, shehecheyanu v’key’manu v’higiyanu lazman hazeh. Amen.
Praised are You, Spirit of the Universe, who keeps us alive, sustains us, and brings us to this moment. Amen.
Peek Inside our
free booklet
In addition to the traditional candle blessings (in Hebrew and in English to avoid JewBarrassment), we have short candle-lighting readings for each night highlighting Jewish/universal values that will help us all be better people, plus songs, jokes, and more.
