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WHAT IS HANUKKAH?
Hanukkah celebrates the Maccabee resistance fighters’ triumph over King
Antiochus about 2200 years ago. King Antiochus forbade the Jews from
praying, practicing customs, and studying the torah.
Judah Maccabee organized a small group of resistance fighters known as the Maccabees. Against great odds, and after three years of fighting, the Maccabees
successfully pushed Antiochus’ army out of Judea. When the Maccabees
entered the temple, they found only enough oil to light the temple’s menorah
for one day.
BUT... a miracle happened, and the oil lasted for 8 days, giving
the Jews enough time to purify more oil. The 8 days of Hanukkah symbolize
the miracle of the oil.
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