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What Is Hanukkah

Saturday, December 8, 2012

What Does Hanukkah Mean? Hanukkah 2012 Starts Dec. 8

Temptation to switch is the real story of the Jewish holiday of Hanukkah.

Would you switch from Coke to Pepsi? What about changing your driving habits to reduce carbon emissions? Would you Occupy Wall Street? Would you change your religion? Temptation to switch is the real story of the Jewish holiday of Hanukkah, which begins this year on Sat., Dec 8 at sundown, and lasts for eight days. It’s relevant today as a way to think about what we’re willing to give up. How much pop culture can we accept into our lives, and how much of our tradition (be it Indian, Catholic or Jewish) do we want to preserve? Pressure to conform Some 2,000 years ago, Greeks dominated the world from Western Europe to India and imposed their cultural philosophy, “Hellenism,” on their subjects. Greek culture, language and philosophy were …

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