Posted by kohn, a resident of the Danville neighborhood, on Dec 24, 2008 at 5:09 pm

Hanukkah, from the Hebrew word for "dedication" or "consecration", marks the re-dedication of the Temple in Jerusalem after its desecration by the forces of Antiochus IV and commemorates the "miracle of the container of oil."According to the Talmud, at the re-dedication following the victory of the Maccabees over the Seleucid Empire, there was only enough consecrated olive oil to fuel the eternal flame in the Temple for one day. Miraculously, the oil burned for eight days, which was the length of time it took to press, prepare and consecrate fresh olive oil.

An Islamic shrine, the Dome of the Rock, has stood on the site of the Temple since the late 7th Century AD, and the al-Aqsa Mosque, from roughly the same period, also stands on the Temple courtyard.

Maccabees had the the reason to celebrate Hannukka but how do the present day Jews celebrate Hannukka when the same temple is controlled by a Waqf (an Islamic trust).

Is not their job to sanctify the temple like Maccabees did and then celebrate Hannukka instead of competing with christians and christmas.

Note:

Although it’s a popular holiday for Jews, it is not their most sacred — in fact, the story isn’t even mentioned in the Torah.

Alex Lubet , the Hillel Board of Directors president and a music professor at the University, said Hanukkah doesn’t reflect the full depth of Judaism. Other more sacred holidays include Passover and Yom Kippur.

Laura Supkoff , a Jewish University graduate student, said it’s not a holiday that people would take off work to celebrate.

“It receives a lot more attention than it actually should, just because Christmas is at the same time,” she said.

Posted by Tina, a resident of the Alamo neighborhood, on Dec 25, 2008 at 10:16 am

I learned that Easter is the biggest Christian holiday, religiously speaking - but whether they are "the most important" or not, it sure is nice to have holidays in the middle of winter!