Our Hanukkah Traditions—Family, Treats, and Charity

Does your family have any special holiday traditions that you celebrate during this special time of year? Most of us do, including Yael Eckstein, who shares her special family traditions for Hanukkah.

Yael explains not only how this holiday inspires hope, faith, and light for her husband and kids, but how Hanukkah has kept the Jewish people hopeful during the darkest of times in their history. This Hanukkah, especially, is a time to remember all the light that God brings to our lives and a time to inspire faith in those who so desperately need it.

Happy Hanukkah and Merry Christmas!

Episode Notes:

In today’s episode, host Yael Eckstein continues her four-part series about a well-known Jewish holiday that carries a message of faith, hope, and courage that is so relevant for both Jews and Christians today—Hanukkah!

In today’s episode, Yael walks us through many of the Hanukkah traditions that Jews share and special memories of celebrating Hanukkah with her own family—all are traditions that center around God as our light.

Yael examines Psalm 27:1-3: “The LORD is my light and my salvation—whom shall I fear? The LORD is the stronghold of my life—of whom shall I be afraid? When the wicked advance against me to devour me, it is my enemies and my foes who will stumble and fall. Though an army besiege me, my heart will not fear; though war break out against me, even then I will be confident.”

She reflects on the idea that when God is our light, we can always remember that even when the flame seems small, our light of faith is big. Just the smallest amount of faith can bring about a miracle. Yael invites all of us—as people of faith—to share the light of our faith with someone we know who is struggling this holy season.