By Yiftah Leket, Community Shaliach
Living in Israel makes you feel like you are walking in the stories of our Jewish Heritage.
The story of Hanukkah started to be a big thing for me in 1992, when my family and I moved from the city I was born in, Jerusalem, to a small community village, called Maccabim. This small village was founded by Maccabi World Union, the well-known international Jewish sports organization. Maccabim is situated in Modi’in, which is where the story of the rebellion of the Maccabees (the story of Hanukkah) took place. Wandering in the vast valleys and hills of that region is what we used to do very often. You can’t take a walk in that area without encountering some archeological site…whether it’s a food storage facility, a small village, a well, or a wine making platform (named “GAT”). Being able to follow the footsteps of our ancestors is one of the best parts of living in Israel. But maybe even more powerful, is the way Israelis have kept and renewed traditions from those times and adapted them in our modern life.
While living in Maccabim, I was a part of the youth movement – “Maccabi Tzair” (Young Maccabi), which was one of the most life-changing and influential experiences I have ever participated in. Being that our movement was named after the Maccabees, you can imagine what Hanukkah looked like…it was the most important holiday on the calendar. Every Hanukkah we had a torch relay that passed a torch from the “Maccabean graves”, spreading the flame to different places in Israel. This tradition began in 1944!
In recent years, Hanukkah has brought even more light to our communities. For more and more people and communities, it has began to symbolize the idea of a shared society. Haifa, is the crowned jewel when it comes to maintaining a diverse community and trying to develop the relationships between the different religions. For example, Haifa transformed December into “The Holiday of Holidays”, a celebration of a harmonious relationship between the monolithic religions of the area. This tradition began in December 1993, a year when three holidays – Hanukkah, Christmas and Ramadan – happened to take place during the same month. Throughout December you can find many different opportunities to explore and enjoy the different holidays and religions. If you haven’t been there before — plan it for your next winter visit!
Living now in Michigan is a whole new experience for me and my family. While walking the streets of Detroit, or West Bloomfield is not like walking through the ancient stories of the second temple, there is certainly something special. The spirit of Hanukkah, the lighting of the Menorah, is truly exciting and unique here. Within the atmosphere of Christmas in the snow (feeling like you live in a movie), seeing the uniqueness of the Menorah, and the special relationship between the Jewish community and greater Detroit, or even creating an opportunity to light the candles and eat Sufganyot with family and friends – made this Hanukkah special even for a Maccabi boy like me. At the end of the day, looking at our holidays as a place for finding communality rather than exclusiveness, seems to me the brightest idea we can share and create – in Michigan, Israel and beyond.