Eight crazy nights: Hannukah at Vassar

Sarah Siegel Life Editor

For eight nights every year, Director of Security Don Marsala won’t yell at you if you light a candle in the dorms. Well, if you light a candle as part of a Vassar Jewish Union (VJU) Hannukah ceremony, any way. The Jewish festival of lights began at sundown Dec. 4, and ends at sundown on Dec. 12, and the VJU has menorahs, latkes and dreidles to share.

From a young age, children learn that Hannukah celebrates a miracle. The story goes that around 150 B.C.E. ,Greek Syrian authorities desecrated the Jewish temple, destroying the oil used to fuel a light signifying God’s eternal presence. There was only enough oil left for one night, but it is supposed to have lasted for eight days and nights—hence the eight nights of Hannukah. One more candle is lit on the ceremonial candelabra, called a menorah, each night. The story of the oil also explains the traditional food of the holiday, latkes, which are potato pancakes fried in oil.

But according to Rabbi Rena Blumenthal, Hannukah is more about religious freedom than miraculous oil. Blumenthal explained that Hannukah celebrates a group of guerilla fighters, the Maccabees, who fought against a repressive Greek Syrian regime.

Blumenthal said that Hannukah literally means “rededication [of the temple]…and that leads to the question of what we can rededicate our lives to at this time of year. It’s about bringing light to the darkest time of the year, wanting to bring light into your home and watch it get bigger and bigger—what it means to bring light into the world.”

VJU member Rachel Eisen ’11 is excited to celebrate Hannukah, which she said “is a fun holiday to celebrate with friends. It’s about eating, drinking, being with family and friends—what you do at most Jewish holidays.”

Eisen will celebrate with members of her student fellow group as well as with VJU members here at Vassar. She will also visit her grandparents, who live in New York City.

On-campus festivities include a candle-lighting ceremony in a different dorm every night, with a special service on Friday night that will be held at the Bayit, followed by a party.

More than 40 students attended the first candle-lighting on Tuesday.

In addition to the menorahs and latkes, guests can expect singing and games of dreidle, a game of fortune that involves a spinning top whose spoils are normally chocolate coins called gelt (Yiddish for “money”).

“Everyone is welcome—these celebrations are for everyone,” said Blumenthal. The events are free, and “you don’t have to be Jewish to come to our candle-lighting. All the songs will be transliterated—it’ll be a fun study break.”