Friends,

My winter holiday tradition is Chanukah, a commemoration of the overthrow of an authoritarian power by a small but mighty rebellion. We light the menorah, or more precisely, the chanukiah, to remember the miracle of the oil. When the Jews reclaimed the temple that had been desecrated by the Greek-Syrian Kingdom, they reconsecrated it by lighting the menorah. They found enough oil to keep the menorah lit for just one day but, miraculously, that small amount of oil lasted for a week, providing enough time to make a new batch of pure oil.

This year, I find the story of Chanukah more resonant than ever, and lighting the chanukiah is an especially powerful metaphor. We interrupt the darkness by lighting a candle. We don’t know how long the flame will burn or how much of the darkness it will dispel. In the face of that uncertainty, igniting the flame is an act of bravery. Bringing light into the darkness is an act of strength -- defiant, hopeful, and insistent. And when we each ignite a single flame, we light the way for each other, and together we expel the darkness.

Dana