We would like to wish a happy Hanukkah to all our Jewish students and staff! Hanukkah starts on the evening of Sunday 14 December and runs until Monday 22 December.
Hanukkah (or Chanukah in Hebrew) is the Jewish festival of light, which falls in November or December and lasts for eight days. The word Hanukkah means ‘dedication’ and celebrates one of the greatest miracles in Jewish history.
Over 2,000 years ago, the Greeks had banned Jewish rituals. A statue of King Antiochus was put in a Jewish temple, and the King tried to make Jewish people bow down in front of it and pray to Greek Gods. A small group of Jews called the Maccabees fought against this and won a three-year war, meaning that they were able to practice their religion freely. Although their Jewish temple had been destroyed, they cleaned and repaired it, and an oil lap was lit to celebrate the victory. Whilst there was only enough oil to burn the candle for one day, it burned for eight days.
There are a number of synagogues in Kent and you can find out about services happening at the Chatham Memorial Synagogue.
If you are celebrating Hanukkah, then we wish you a joyful holiday!