Eight nights of light and music.

Technically the first night wasn't, because I was in a hotel and couldn't light candles.  But every other night - three at friends' house and four in my own - I lit the hannukiah, said the incantation, and prayed.

My friends are Russian Orthodox and heard of Channukah, of course, but didn't know much about it.  They were interested in the process of setting and lighting the candles, and happy with the pieces of gelt (chocolate money) and gummy candy I brought for them.  I explained the dreidel game, but we didn't play - too busy going to plays and visiting.

It has been a rough Hanukah for many Jews this year, with the attacks by Hamas on October 7th and then the attacks by much of the world as Israel retaliated and defended itself.  So much of the world has been outspoken against Israel, and even supporting Hamas in its declaration to wipe Israel and all Jews off the face of the earth: Nazis of the 21st Century.  It is scary and disheartening.

Like many Jews, I became more open in who I am.  I wore my "Channukah Makes Me Jump For Oy!" sweatshirt last weekend, while at plays and otherwise.  I've been posting the Jewish side of things on Facebook and responding to some friends who are blindly supporting the Palestinians as if they are the only indigenous persons in the region, overlooking the fact that "Palestine" is a name imposed on the area by colonizers, first the Romans and later the British Mandate.  If you look at the historical record, the area was called by other names, which is part of the reason it wasn't chosen for the new country that became Israel.  As Golda Meir pointed out, until 1948 anybody of any religion - Jewish, Muslim, or Christian - who lived in that area carried a Palestinian passport.

Every night, I've posted at least one song.  This year's list:

Night 1:  Rise Up

Night 2:  A Star Wars Channukah because a cousin posted this picture to me:

Night 3:  Burn

Night 4:  Several songs based upon Taylor Swift's oeuvre:  Era-lution of Taylor Swift, the full version of the last song on that compilation - Chanukah ("Shake It Off"), and You Can Light With Me.

Night 5:  Shine  (and by great coincidence, since the video shows people being swabbed to go into a bone marrow donor database, the next day I received notice that "[o]n Sep 30, 2014 you helped facilitate a donor drive in Chicago at <location>. We are thrilled to inform you that a donor recruited at that drive has transplanted a 61 year old man battling Myelodysplastic Disorder."  Yes, I have also been swabbed and am in the database.  It's the second time I've received a notice that somebody found a lifesaving match thanks to the donor drive we held.)

Night 6:  Elton Johnukah and Candles On The Sill

Night 7:  West Side Chanukah Story

Night 8:  From the recent March for Israel, a version of Am Israel Chai ("The People Of Israel Live" or "We're Still Here") - so necessary in the last two-plus months.  And the future.

This year, Hannukah has so much more resonance for the Jewish people.  And I have so much I want to say, but it all gets choked together and I cannot type clearly.  Maybe in another post.