Hanukkah 2016 in Jerusalem
Hanukkah comes out at the darkest time of year. Jews around the world light the hanukkiah (חנוכיה), sometimes called a menorah) – candelabras with eight oil lamps or candles. But why?
There is a Jewish folklore about the first man, Adam. One day he started noticing the hours of daylight shortening and he was convinced he was being punished for his sin and that the trend would continue until there would only be darkness. And so when he saw the amount of light hours starting to grow again, he understood that this is simply how the world works. He felt gratitude for the light and in response created a holiday that eventually resulted in the holiday of Hanukkah, the Jewish Holiday of Light.
The more historical and recent version of the Hanukkah story is about the Jewish people fighting and triumphing over the Syrian Greeks in the Holy Land who weren’t allowing Jews to practice their religion. Hanukkah is a celebration of the defeat over paganism in the Land of Israel; while the military victory is important, the spiritual victory is equally, or possibly even more important.
Hanukkah also celebrates the miracle following this war. The Jews, who wanted to immediately begin to worship God again in the Temple in Jerusalem, found only enough ritually pure olive oil to burn in the menorah (the candelabrum in the Temple) for one day. But miraculously, it lasted eight days – the amount of time needed in order to create more ritually pure olive oil.
Today this holiday is celebrated by lighting a hanukkia (also known as a menorah) eight nights in a row, starting by lighting one lamp and each night lighting one more lamp until, on the eighth day, the hanukkia is bright with eight lamps. It’s preferable to use olive oil lamps in order to commemorate the miracle of the oil, but regular wax candles may be used as well. The other main tradition of this holiday is to eat oily foods in honor of the miracle.
Hanukkah Events in Jerusalem
Hamshushalayim
Enjoy the special concerts, plays, dance performances and exhibitions that make up Jerusalem’s annual winter festival, such as the nightly hannukia tours in the Jewish Quarter of the Old City or the Ethnic Music Festival at the Museum for Islamic Art taking place during the holiday, as well as much more.
Read more about Hamshushalyim winter festival>>
Where: Around Jerusalem
When: Every weekend in December
Jerusalem Hanukkah Blues Festival
This December 6-12, the Yellow Submarine will be hosting Jerusalem’s first Hanukkah Blues Festival, featuring a collection of local and international talent that will span the range of sub-genres associated with the blues — from old time and Piedmont to rock and blues fusion.
Read more about the blues festival and check out some of our handpicked highlights >>
Where: Yellow Submarine, 13 Harechavim Street, Jerusalem
When: December 6-12, 2015
Hanukkah at the Abraham Hostel
This year, Jerusalem’s #1 hostel will be celebrating the holiday with a trio of concerts by upcoming local artists.
Where: Abraham Hostel, 67 Haneviim Street, Jerusalem
When: December 7, 12 & 12, 2015
Hanukkah Family Fun at the Bible Lands Museum
The story of Hanukkah may not be in the bible, but Jerusalem’s Bible Lands Museum is celebrating Hanukkah all the same by inviting adults and children alike to visit the museum and take part in Hanukkah-themed activities and tours at special prices. All the while, admission for kids is free throughout the holiday.
Read more about Hanukkah at the Bible Lands Musem>>
Where: Bible Lands Museum, 21 Shmuel Stephan Weiss Street, Jerusalem
When: December 6-14, 2015
Hanukkah Family Fun at Bloomfield Science Museum
Celebrate Hanukkah fun at the Bloomfield Science Museum with a wide range of activities, exhibits, performances and hands-on workshops, suitable for the whole family. The Festival of Lights will focus on fire, light and shadow.
Read more about Hanukkah at Bloomfield Science Museum >>
Where: Bloomfield Science Museum, Shderot HaMuzeonim, Givat Ram, Jerusalem
When: December 8-14, 2015
Hanukkah at the Israel Museum
Enjoy a number of family-friendly shows and activities throughout the holiday, including a captivating laser-light performance by Israeli group Pyromania, a workshop for making art with oil candles and much more.
Where: Israel Museum, 11 Derech Ruppin, Jerusalem
When: December 9-14, 2015
Cost: Varies by show
Info: +972-723-290791
Sov Na Sov: A Family Festival in Nahalat Shiva
Free shows, concerts, arts and crafts workshops and more for the whole family in downtown Jerusalem! The fun starts on Thursday, December 11 from 2-6 pm and continues Friday, December 12 from 9 am – 1 pm.
Where: Venues around Nahalat Shiva neighborhood
When: December 11-12, 2015
Cost: Free
Info: http://www.haira.co.il/en/events/sov/
Things to do on Hanukkah in Jerusalem
Venues and streets around Jerusalem come alive during Hannukah with special events, concerts tours and more. On any given day there is something for everybody, whether you’re I alone, in a group or with family.
Join candle lighting at the Western Wall around sunset every day of Hanukkah. Afterwards, walk the streets of Jerusalem – all along the streets you will see thousands of lit candles. Two areas particularly recommended are the Jewish Quarter in the Old City and Nachlaot near the city center.
Hanukkah is also a perfect time to take in the surrounding history of the time of the story of the holiday. You can do this by joining a tour of the Western Wall Tunnels or heading down to the Western Wall on a Friday evening in order to take in the experience of hundreds of people praying with joy as they bring in Shabbat next to this supportive wall of the Temple Mount where the Temple once stood.
First Station
Celebrate the holiday with hannukia-lightings, parties, concerts, theater performances, and other special events every day at Jerusalem’s First Station.
Outdoors
What better way to enjoy the holiday than getting out of the house and into the nature of Jerusalem and its surroundings? In 2014, the Jerusalem Bird observatory had numerous special activities throughout the holiday, and Jerusalem Park had a massive Hanukkah-themed scavenger hunt.
Parties
Of course, there can be no holiday without parties, so naturally Jerusalem’s bars and clubs have no shortage of them. Mike’s Place, the Abraham Hostel, Toy Bar and Oliver Twist typically have Hanukkah parties every year
More about the traditions and story of Hanukka >>
Photos courtesy of the Western Wall Heritage Foundation