Chanukkah – Rabbi Jon 's Website and Blog

January 28, 2026

What Is a Miracle?

This is the D’var Torah I gave on Parashat Beshalach, including the crossing of the Sea of Reeds into freedom, in 5773 (2013). One day, little Noah comes home from Religious School, and his mother asks him what he learned. Noah says: Today we were learning about how the Israelites left Egypt. His mother says: … Continue reading

Beshalach, Chanuka, Chanukkah, Exodus, Parashat Hashavua, Torah

December 25, 2025

Not a Christian Nation, Mr. Vice President, But Yours and Mine

I published this post on Facebook on December 22. 2025, to much positive reception, so I am posting it here too. Sometime around when my family was lighting our last Chanukkah candles last night, the Vice President of the United States proclaimed in a speech at the Turning Point USA convention that the United States… Continue reading

Calendar, Chanuka, Chanukkah, Community Relations, Current Affairs, Freedom, History, Holidays, Inclusion, Interfaith Dialogue, Leadership, Tzedek, USA, Young Jewish Adult

December 25, 2025

The Ice Bucket Challenge and the Menorah: Sustaining Light (Shabbat Chanukkah 5786-Parashat Mketz)

This was my D’var Torah for Shabbat Chanukkah coinciding with Parashat Miketz in 5786 (December 20, 2025). Do you remember the Ice Bucket Challenge? In the summer of 2014, people began sharing videos of themselves getting ice cold water poured over their heads and asking people to donate money to support people with ALS, amyotrophic… Continue reading

Antisemitism, Calendar, Chanuka, Chanukkah, Civil Rights, Current Affairs, Holidays, Miketz, Parashat Hashavua, Torah, Tzedakah, Tzedek

December 25, 2025

When Life Is Commodified (Parashat Vayiggash 5779)

This is my D’var Torah for Parashat Vayiggash in 5779, December 15, 2018 — during thick of the season of gift giving and shopping. In 1912, Francis Collins published The Boys’ Book of Model Airplanes: How to Build and How to Fly Them. It was about a decade after Kitty Hawk, the first successful flight… Continue reading

Calendar, Chanuka, Chanukkah, Economics, Money, Parashat Hashavua, Torah, Vayiggash, Youth

December 14, 2025

Hope From the Pits

This is the D’var Torah I shared on Shabbat, December 13, 2025, for Parashat Vayeshev just before the first candle of Chanukkah 5786. On Thursday, I spent a good part of an hour staring at images of specific chanukkiot. It’s a bit early to be doing that — Chanukkah doesn’t start until tomorrow evening —… Continue reading

Calendar, Chanuka, Chanukkah, Holidays, Hope, Parashat Hashavua, Prayer, USA, Vayeshev

December 10, 2025

Rebellion

This was a D’var Torah from 5777 (2016), for Parashat Vayeshev and the beginning of Chanukkah. Chanukkah starts tonight, the story of the Maccabean Revolt. It seems crazy to be talking about rebellion in December. This is a time when people want to curl up, stay inside, and keep warm. It’s a time when people… Continue reading

Calendar, Chanuka, Chanukkah, Holidays, Parashat Hashavua, Vayeshev

December 10, 2025

Who is Courageous? A Chanukkah Answer from Aristeas to Us

Here is yet another version of my take on the takeaway today from the Letter of Aristeas to Philocrates, a Jewish work from the time of the Maccabees that presents its own view of Jewish position, role, and voice in a “modern” world. The question I’ve been speaking about the past few weeks leading to… Continue reading

Antisemitism, Chanuka, Chanukkah, Community Relations, Current Affairs, History, Holidays, Inclusion, Israel, USA

December 10, 2025

Speaking to the World: A Chanukkah Message from the Letter of Aristeas

This is another iteration of a Chanukkah teaching theme of mine, relating to what the era of that festival can teach us about the relation of Jews to the larger world, and the Jewish voice to the larger world. I shared this particular version around Chanukkah 5785 (2024). Alexandria in Egypt was kind of the… Continue reading

Antisemitism, Chanuka, Chanukkah, Community Relations, Current Affairs, History, Holidays, USA

December 25, 2024

A Message for the Start of Chanukkah 5785 (2024)

This is the note I sent our synagogue community today, before the first candle of Chanukkah. Chag Urim Sameach! Dear Friends: Tonight begins Chanukkah, the festival of light and miracles and hope. This year Chanukkah comes at a time of ongoing war in Israel, and at the end of a difficult year for Jews everywhere.… Continue reading

Antisemitism, Calendar, Chanuka, Chanukkah, Community Relations, Current Affairs, Holidays, Hope, Israel, Jerusalem, Power, Young Jewish Adult, Youth

December 23, 2024

When the Oil Is Still Hidden: A Chanukkah Perspective on Hope

I shared this D’var Torah on Shabbat morning, December 14, 2024, about a week and a half before Chanukkah. Muhammed Asefi is a physician from Afghanistan, who is an artist-in-residence this year at Arizona State University. Dr. Asefi, before he was a medical doctor, wanted more than anything to be a painter. So he did… Continue reading

Calendar, Chanuka, Chanukkah, Holidays, Hope

December 15, 2023

D’var Torah: Dreaming Even In These Times

This is the D’var Torah I plan to share at Shabbat morning services on December 16, 2023 for Parashat Miketz. It’s related to this one I gave in late 2020, when we could begin to think about reality after Covid vaccines. I want to start by misquoting someone, specifically Dr. Tal Ben-Shahar, on the subject of dreamers and cynics:… Continue reading

Chanuka, Chanukkah, Coronavirus, Current Affairs, Dreams/Dreaming, Holidays, Hope, Israel, Leadership, Miketz, Parashat Hashavua

December 12, 2023

Chanukkah and Dreidel: A Portfolio of Hope

This is a version of a D’var Torah I've given in many variations over the past few years. I’ve come to think about a lot of things in life in terms of “portfolio management.” People talk about investment portfolios –long-term and short- term, stocks and bonds. I think Chanukkah can teach us creating a hope… Continue reading

Calendar, Chanuka, Chanukkah, Current Affairs, Gaza, Holidays, Hope, Israel, Jewish Education, Prayer, Tikkun Olam, Torah, Young Jewish Adult, Youth