19 December: First day of Hanukkah
Happy Hanukkah to all those celebrating! Hanukkah began yesterday evening at sundown, and will continue until Monday 26 December. This eight-day Jewish festival (also known as Festival of Dedication or Festival of Lights) commemorates the rededication of the Second Temple of Jerusalem by the lighting of candles on a Hanukkah menorah (a nine-branched candelabrum); eight of the nine branches hold lights symbolising the eight nights of the holiday, and the ninth branch holds a candle, called the shamash (‘helper’ or ‘servant’) which is used to light the other eight.
We would love to draw your attention to an exhibition which took place earlier this year in the Museum of Fine Arts, Houston, called Beauty and Ritual: Judaica from the Jewish Museum, New York. The exhibition brought together over 140 Jewish ceremonial objects, from Jewish communities around the world, from antiquity to the present. Visitors walked through three thematic galleries: ‘The Art of the Synagogue: Adorning the Torah,’ ‘A Day of Rest: The Radiance of the Sabbath,’ and ‘Beyond the Synagogue and the Home: The Light of the Hanukkah Menorah.’
We really enjoyed this personal and thoughtful review by Melissa Mednicov, in which she writes: “The Hanukkah menorah space feels, at first, a bit like joy. Surrounded by so many menorahs, beaming in and reflecting the light, it is easy to remember one’s own past Hanukkahs (a minor, but joyful holiday). Hanukkah celebrates survival and the miracle of one night’s supply of oil lasting for eight. It was educational to see the expanse of menorahs over time, paired with a globe on the left wall. It was also enjoyable to see the menorahs lit by past presidents in the White House, and by Second Gentleman Douglas Emhoff.”
We also highly recommend taking a look at the online collection of The Jewish Museum in New York. It includes an amazing array of art historical works, including:
A quick look around The Jewish Museum's ongoing collection exhibition, featuring nearly 600 works from antiquities to contemporary art
For those interested in learning about the cultural history of Hanukkah in more depth, here is a fascinating 1 hour discussion hosted by the Jewish Museum of Heritage in New York