Hanukkah is observed by Jewish communities around the world, often over eight nights during late November or December.

At its heart, Hanukkah is a story about resilience — about maintaining identity, culture, and practice in the face of pressure to assimilate or disappear. It is marked through the lighting of candles, remembrance, gathering, and tradition.

For some people, Hanukkah is deeply religious. For others, it is cultural, familial, or quietly reflective. Like many holidays, it can be joyful, solemn, complicated, or gently ordinary, depending on where someone is and what this season carries for them.

I want to acknowledge Hanukkah without presuming how it is practiced or what it means in any one life.

If you are observing Hanukkah this year, I hope the moments of light — literal or metaphorical — offer steadiness, connection, or pause. And if you are not, I hope the presence of this season can still serve as a reminder that endurance, care, and continuity matter.

Wishing warmth and peace through this time.

Gareth