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Nov. 28 and ends at sundown on Dec. 6. The rabbinic calendar began with the creation of Adam and begins anew each autumn. In September 2021, Jews ushered in the year 5782. CHANUKIAHS The focal point of Chanukah is the evening ritual of lighting the chanukiah, a candelabrum with nine candles, one for each of the eight nights, plus an extra candle known as the shamash, a helper candle that lights the others. Although the words menorah and chanukiah are used interchangeably, chanukiah describes the candelabra specifically for Chanukah, while menorah refers to a seven-branch candleholder used in the ancient holy temple in Jerusalem, symbolic of the seven days of creation. Chanukiahs have become cherished art and run the gamut of artistic expression from utilitarian to whimsical or ornate. They occupy a place of honor in Jewish homes, synagogues and museums worldwide covering a range of interests, interpretations and materials, most commonly metal, wood, clay, ceramic and glass. Some chanukiahs are used for candle lighting while others are for display only. Candle lighting traditions also vary. Some families light a single chanukiah while in others, each family member lights a personal one. Chanukah candles are for celebration only and must be allowed to burn out on their own. At sundown on each of the eight nights of Chanukah, the shamash is lit first and then lights each of the other candles — one the first night, two the second night, until the eighth night when all the candles are aglow. Each night after the candles are lit we sing Chanukah blessings (brakhot) in Hebrew. DREYDL A four-sided spinning top, known as a dreydl or dreidel (pronounced dray-dul), is the other major Chanukah symbol and is steeped in legend. In ancient Jerusalem, dreydls were subterfuge, a secret way for Jews to secretly study Torah — the first five books of the Hebrew Bible — during the reign of Antiochus. Today, they're popular collectibles and the basis of a rousing holiday game of chance. Whether simple and inexpensive or fancy and costly, every dreydl has four sides, each with a Hebrew letter signifying an action in the dreydl game. Children and families delight in playing this gambling game with chocolate gelt (money in Hebrew and Yiddish), other candy, real coins or any small objects that serve as tokens. Dreydl requires a minimum of two players, each receiving 10-15 tokens, with one token placed in the center known as "the pot." Players take turns spinning the dreydl to see on which of the four Hebrew letters it lands with each letter corresponding to an action: nun, do nothing; gimel, take the entire pot; heh, take half the pot; and shin, add one token to the pot. The game ends when one player wins all the tokens, or it can be played with a time limit. Beyond the game instructions, the letters nun, gimel, heh and shin form the phrase: Nes Gadol Haya Sham, which means, "A great miracle happened there" (in Israel). DECEMBER DILLEMA Christmas is the superstar of the calendar and a complicated one for Jews. Awash in merriment, philanthropy, good will and shopping mania, the holiday culminates on Christmas Day with worship, family gatherings, a bountiful meal and an exchange of gifts. And each holiday season Jews experience the "December dilemma." We admire the beauty and pageantry of Christmas and recognize and respect that we live in a Christian nation. We want to be good friends and good neighbors. And today, given the frequency of intermarriage, those of us with blended families want to be good family members. Jewish parents struggle to explain to our young, impressionable children that the manger story isn't ours, they can't have a Christmas tree or sit on Santa's lap. So, it's unsurprising that the enormity of Christmas has lured several generations of American Jews into organizing bigger, better Chanukah celebrations for our children so they don't feel left out during the lengthy run-up to Christmas — me among them. It began decades ago with a request from my oldest child's pre-school teacher to "share your holiday with the class." During more than a dozen years it morphed into Chanukah Day, a multi- faceted extravaganza that included art, music, games, worksheets, videos, potato latkes and culminated with a lesson about respect and appreciation for everyone's holiday traditions. 80 maconmagazine.com | DECEMBER/JANUARY 2022