Loud and Proud: Hanukkah 2021

While not quite a miracle, coming out of retirement to work at Nazareth College is certainly unexpected. My long affiliation with the college goes back to the late 1980’s when I became an adjunct, teaching courses in basic Judaism and Jewish-Christian relations. Years later I had the honor of working with a very special man, Dr. Muhammad Shafiq, as he created the Hickey Center for Interfaith Studies and Dialogue. Over the years I spoke about Judaism with various groups of scholars from around the globe, who came to Nazareth to learn about the unique work being done here. Now as Hanukkah begins, I hope to continue bringing bits of light to this community.

While many view Hanukkah as the Jewish Festival of Lights, that is only part of the story. The story from the Talmud is that when the Maccabees came to restore and rededicate the Holy Temple in Jerusalem, they only found one small cruse of sanctified oil that could be used for the menorah, the candelabra, that was one of the sacred items in the Temple. Miraculously, the oil- which should have only lasted one day- burned for eight. The tradition teaches that this is the reason we celebrate this minor festival for eight days. This passage in the Talmud was only written down more than three centuries after the events they are describing. Other earlier sources, which do not mention the oil, claim that when the Maccabees entered the Temple and wanted to re-institute a more traditional Jewish atmosphere and remove the pagan symbols, they celebrated for eight days either because that is the number of days it took to dedicate the sanctuary or to commemorate the most recent festival which they were unable to observe due to the war. That festival was Sukkot, which is observed for eight days.

What many are unaware of is the Maccabees not only battled external forces, the Syrian-Greek armies of Antiochus, but also were in a life and death struggle within the Jewish community itself. Many in the community were adopting the Greek/Hellenized culture of the Seleucid Empire. Their opponents were living an assimilated form of Jewish life. It was a combination of seeking power to control Judea as well as imitating a lifestyle that was seen as attractive and alluring.

We learn that Mattathias the priest, the father of five sons, including Judah the Maccabee, struck down another Jew who was willingly offering an unauthorized sacrifice to the Pagan God. This was a grave sin to the traditional Jewish community. It was considered a dangerous act that could destroy the future of traditional Judaism of the day. Mattathias’s call to his loyalists was “All who are faithful, follow me.” Allegedly, that began the rebellion. As many see it, that started the struggle for religious freedom.

Mattathias and his sons might be thought of as religious freedom fighters. They might also be considered zealots. It all depends on how you interpret their actions and what you feel is sacred and worth the fight. But assuredly they were willing to give everything and sacrifice to keep their heritage alive and thriving. They were both “Loud and Proud.” They stood up for their Jewish identity with pride and strength.

Perhaps this is a slightly different lesson for Hanukkah. It can still be a universal message along with the need for religious freedom. Their message of taking pride in who they were and standing up to forces that challenged their right to exist in the manner they believed. We are all entitled to be “Loud and Proud” as long as we do not infringe on the rights or safety of others. Appreciate yourself and your heritage and grant others the freedom to do the same.


Chag Hanukkah Samayach. Wishing all a Happy and light filled Hanukkah. 

Rabbi Alan J. Katz

Interim Director, Konar Center for Tolerance and Jewish Studies

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