Parallels Between First Hanukkah and Today

Yael Eckstein  |  January 2, 2025

Writing at Higher Ground, Yael shares powerful stories from Israel that show the true meaning of Hanukkah and give a reminder that God’s light shines in the darkness:

“This people of mine, this nation of mine, has been such a light to me.”

This week, as Jews around the world celebrate the eight days of Hanukkah, the Festival of Lights, these words are fitting, aren’t they?

“In this holiday of lights, I just wish for one miracle. For the hostages to come home and the war to end…”

These words, spoken with both sadness and hope, perfectly summarize how all of us here in the Holy Land are feeling, as we enter the holiday season.

With Hanukkah this year coming at the same time as Christmas, it is a wonderful reminder for us all — Christians and Jews — that God’s light continues to shine through the darkness, and He continues to perform wondrous miracles which we still witness, and pray for, each day…