Merry Christmas, and Happy First Night of Hanukkah! On Christmas Eve, millions of the world’s Christian faithful lit candles signifying the entrance of the baby Jesus, the Light of the World, into our world. This Christmas night, Jews worldwide will celebrate the first night of Hanukkah, the eight-day festival of light, which celebrates the triumph of light over darkness and spirituality over materiality. The lighting of the Hanukkah menorah predated the lighting of the Advent and congregant candles, but they both hold parallel significance. Light has come, and the darkness will never be the same.
The last time Christmas and Hanukkah dovetailed was in 2005. As Rabbi Joseph Potasnik of the New York Board of Rabbis noted:
While Hanukkah and Christmas are celebrated by different religions, the two share similar messaging around the need for more good and…
