Topic: Who Made Chanukah Possible? Neither the Hellenizers Nor the Hasidim.
With Rabbi Yitz Greenberg

The Hanukkah story is generally understood as a showdown between Greek Hellenism and the upholders of Jewish tradition. The truth is more complicated. This session will make the case that there were actually three streams in the Jewish community who played a role in the Hanukkah narrative: The Jewish Hellenizers, the ‘Hasidim,’ and the Maccabees. We will explore the thought and practice of each group and the critical issues of the time that animated them such as: Can you fight a military battle on Shabbat? Can humans rebuild the Beit Hamikdash [Holy Temple] or must they wait for it to be restored by a miraculous lowering of a new purified building from heaven. Finally, we’ll ask, if the actual Maccabee victory occurred in Tishrei-Cheshvan, why is Hanukkah celebrated at the end of Kislev?

Presented on Zoom by Hadar. Advance registration required. Click HERE to register.