“: 34 North Shore News — Sunday, December 17, 2000

‘Look like you've arrived
before you get there.

the largest and one. of the most respected authorities in

“  Svaluating cost of ownership, has chosen it as “Best Overall

‘interion, “advanced All-Mode dinheel _Grive ‘and |.

tTaxes, licence, insurance, ‘destination and delivery charges are extra. Dealerships are free to set individual prices. *intelfiChoice :
‘Best Overall Value Winner” 2000; “A Best Overall Value” 1998, 1999. 2000 Complete. Smalt Truck Cost. Guide,™ IntelliChoice

inc, wew.intellichoice.com. "Based on 2000 model year comparisons.

Rabbi Shinuel Birnham
Contributing Writer

MY dear readers, being
the only Rabbi on the

North Shore, I recently
held a press conference

(wink, wink) with

reporters from the
North Shore News, the

“New York Tines,

MSNBC, and CNN.

Since you are my neigh-

- bours, I thought I'd share

with you the best of the
FAQ's, i.e. the Frequently
Asked Questions about
Hanukkah.
What does the word
“Hanukkah” mean?
Hanukkah means dedica-

Why do the Jewish people |

celebrate Hanukkah?

The standard story is as
follows: Around 167 BCE.
(Before the Common Era),
the evil Syrian king Antiochus

- decided to force all of his sub-

jects (including the Jews) to
Hellenize, i.e. to practise the
reigning culture of the day.
Jews were prohibited from
observing the Sabbath, the
practice of circumcision,

" among other traditions. The

Jews rebelled, marking the -
first ime any ‘people risked | =.
their lives to save their reli-
gion. The small Jewish army *
managed to hold off the large
and powerful Syrian army.
Once the Jews, led by the

‘priestly Hasmonian family’

(known as the Maccabians), ©
regained control over the -

- Please visit:
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We mit. strong chairs for vastcurantynonne use
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— SPIRITUALLY SPEAKING= —

Hanukkah: the facts —

Holy Temple i in Jerusalem;
they rededicated the Temple. *
When they wanted to kindle,
the lights of the Temple
Menorah (holy candelabra) ©
they found they only had one ;
day’s supply of special olive’

oil. They sent men to get’

. more, but the source of that. >

oil was four days journey. As
the story goes, the one day’s .
jar of oif lasted eight days,
thus the celebration for eight
days with all those candles.’ °, -
How do you really spell

. Hanukkah?

Well, in Hebrew it is
always spelled the same: chet;

“nun, vay, kaf, hay, but i

English transliteration you can
see it as: Chanuke, Channuka,:

. Chanukka, Hanukah; et

Does Channukah have any
significance for Christians
| Sure it does. If the Jews

. hada’ t fought for their 1

gious freedom, Judaism might

* have dis:

“and thus = Chia never,
.. establishe

Are there ‘any speci
associated with Hanukkah?
‘=: Potato’ pancakes (latkes)

and jelly donuts, because both
are “cooked i in ‘oil :

's just a few
1 reminds