Hanukkah

Countless explanations have been offered to explain the debate between Beit Hillel and Beit Shamai as to whether we light the Hanukkah candles in ascending or descending order. Yet remarkably, Hannah Abrams manages to offer a strikingly novel reading of this debate. Her analysis is well worth the read.

Mois Navon explores what makes Hanukkah so special.

Yaakov Jaffe advocates adding a song to those sung while lighting Hanukkah candles.

In honor of Hanukkah, Admiel Kosman considers literary and aggadic traditions that depict holy people as burning flames or sources of light. He proposes that these traditions be read in light of Martin Buber’s insight regarding the dialogical personality.

Malka Simkovich on the Hasmonean victories and the truth behind the Hanukkah miracle.

Aton Holzer explores the changing nature of Jewish interactions with Rome from Maccabees through the Rabbinic period.

Through an analysis of Hanukkah ads, Yael Buechler explains how Yiddish newspapers used the Old Country language to acculturate Jews to the New Country.

Yaakov Jaffe delves into two possible themes of the song Maoz Tzur.

Zach Truboff looks at the miracle of the Hanukkah oil through the lens of Franz Rosenzweig and emphasizes the importance of the belief in miracles for a meaningful religiosity.

Tzvi Sinensky on the lost Menorah, the Vatican theory, and the ideology of the search and mythology.