The Talmud tells about the origins of Chanuka in a way that closely parallels a talmudic legend about Adam’s first encounter with darkness. As Chanuka...

We will conduct a detailed analysis of the significance of the commonalities the festivals of Chanuka and Sukkot.

We will explore the earliest sources that retold the dramatic story of Chanuka, and will consider how ancient retellings of Chanuka changed over time ...

When the Hasmoneans ruled Judea in the second and first centuries BCE, hundreds of thousands of pious Jews were comfortably settled in Egypt – with no...

Dying for a cause is considered by many the most noble form of death, and dying for one’s faith has a long and complicated history. The first Jewish m...

The observance of Purim centers around the Megillah, which becomes part of the canon. Chanuka, by contrast, focuses on the lighting of the candles, a ...

A central observance of Chanuka is the recitation of Hallel on all eight days; on Purim Hallel is not recited. We will study the significance of this ...

What does it mean for Chanuka to be the only major holiday invented in the post-biblical era? Through hassidic sources, we will explore Chanuka’s mess...

Does the ‘chanukia’ simply model the Menorah of the Mishkan -with an extra candle? Our session will begin by comparing the ‘Menorah’ to the other vess...