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Chanukkahחנוכה
Chanukkah is an eight-day winter holiday commemorating the Jewish victory over the Seleucid Greek oppressors in 164 BCE. It is widely known as the "Festival of Lights" due to the practice of lighting a candle or oil lamp each night of the holiday. This ritual recalls the miracle of the oil, in which a small container of oil for the Temple menorah lasted for eight nights, after it was expected to last for only one.
MiraclesנסMiracles feature throughout the Jewish textual tradition. Supernatural events appear throughout the Bible, including the ten plagues, the splitting of the sea, and when the walls of Jericho fell, among others. Miracles feature in later rabbinic texts as well, and ancient through contemporary works analyze the nature and significance of miracles.
AmidahעמידהThe Amidah — ”standing prayer” in English — is a central part of each of the three daily Jewish prayer services. It is also called Shemoneh Esrei, which means “18,” a reference to the fact that the prayer originally consisted of 18 blessings, though the rabbis later added an additional one. The Amidah can be broken down into three parts: praise, national and personal requests, and thanksgiving.
LightאורLight, both physical and metaphorical, features prominently throughout the Jewish textual tradition. Among other instances, light is the first thing God creates in the book of Genesis, is a focus of the holiday of Chanukkah, and is a central concept in kabbalastic literature, representing divine emanations.
MaccabeesמכביםThe Maccabees were fighters from a priestly Jewish family who successfully waged war against the Seleucids and rededicated the Second Temple in Jerusalem — which is now commemorated on Chanukkah. The Maccabees established the Hasmonean dynasty, which ruled from 167 BCE to 37 BCE.
ChanukkiahחנוכיהThe candelabra used to fulfill the mitzvah of lighting Chanukkah candles is called a chanukkiah. Sometimes also called a menorah, it is lit in homes and synagogues during Chanukkah to commemorate the miracle of the holiday, in which one day's worth of oil for the Temple menorah burned for eight days. A chanukkiah has a spot for a candle for each of the eight nights and an additional one for the shamash, the candle used to light the others.