For those who don’t celebrate Christmas, December can be quite an exclusive month. Most houses put up Christmas decorations and lights, Christmas tree stands overtake corner parking lots and advertisements for holiday sales and Christmas gatherings fill newspapers, televisions and stores.
It may seem like a melancholy time for people who don’t take part in the festivities, but for Eugene’s Jewish community, it can be quite the opposite.
Hanukkah TraditionsMenorahs: The menorah represents the Maccabees’ victory over the Syrians when they returned to the sacked temple and lit a menorah for eight days with only a small vessel of oil. During Hanukkah, Jews light a specific nine-branched menorah, called a hannukiah. Its nine candles are also symbolic of the eight days of the Hanukkah celebration; the ninth candle is used to light a new candle each day. |
“Most people think that Hanukkah is similar to the Catholic’s Christmas, that it is our one big holiday of the year. … Really we have many holidays that we share with our friends and family spread throughout the year, including Passover and the High Holidays,” said Hadassah Scher, co-director of the Jewish Student Union.
The Jewish Student Union and the Hillel House are two student groups that work to provide a foundation for Jewish campus life.
The Hillel House, which focuses on the religious aspects of the culture, holds Torah studies and Shabbat services Friday nights. The JSU, whose main focus is Jewish culture, hosts events such as Jewish Culture Night, the Jewish Film Festival and a “Matzah Ball.”
On Nov. 18, JSU held its annual Jewish Culture Night, themed “Hanukkah and Passport to Israel,” in the EMU Fir Room. The night
featured a simulated trip around
the state of Israel that stopped to tour about six cities.
At each stop, guests had the chance to experience something about that city’s life. In the Dead Sea, known for its natural spas, guests received hand massages; in Tsfat, a station was set up for candle-making. Students ate traditional Jewish foods, such as latkas, which are also known as potato pancakes, and listened to a Klezmer band, called the Klezmernauts.
Program Director Andi Lipstein said the Hillel will focus on various events to highlight Hanukkah, such as a menorah lighting at the house during Finals Week that will start Tuesday, the first night of Hanukkah. The lighting will take place at 5 p.m. each night.
“People can bring their own menorah, or they can come and light one of ours,” said Lipstein.
The JSU and Hillel House are making a niche for themselves by using their differences to bring them together.
“The Jewish students are my friends and family,” Scher said. “We’re always together because it’s a familiar face.”
Supplement Freelance Editor Ashley
Griffin contributed to this article
