Chanukah Relevance

This past week at my workplace, a colleague spent a good deal of time explaining to a tenant she works with that Christmas actually isn't a secular holiday. That conversation soon morphed into one where she argued that Chanukah is not one of the more important Jewish holidays but has risen in visibility and observance, especially in the US, as a kind of Jewish foil (or answer?) to Christmas.

On the one hand, I entirely agree with this interpretation. All Jewish scholars I've ever known have told me that celebrating the High Holy Days, Pesach, and Purim is infinitely more traditional than celebrating Chanukah. But on the other hand, I'm writing this post on a Megabus back to NYC because I went home for our annual family Chanukah party. Now, I don't think any Jew (at least that I know) would begrudge me for going home for a family party, even if it is for a holiday and a celebration that my ancestors might not recognize. But I think a part of me still wants to have some justification for my family's celebration other than that we've been pulled along into something that might be called straight-up assimilation.

With that said, I was really interested to find this article on jewschool.com. Whether you're longing to hear a defense of Chanukah or are skeptical you can be convinced this holiday has something importantly Jewish to offer, check it out: http://jewschool.com/2009/12/09/19298/chappy-chanukah-its-still-my-favorite-holiday/#more-19298.