We are a Warm and Welcoming Conservative Congregation In Pepper Pike, Ohio
For each night of Hanukkah, our B’nai Jeshurun clergy will be sending Hanukkah Sparks (short inspirational messages) to read
as you light your Hanukkah candles.
We encourage you to light an extra hanukiya this year for the hostages. We send prayers for their speedy release.
Below is Hanukkah Sparks from 2023. We will update Hanukkah Sparks for 2024 each night of Hanukkah.
First Night:
As we approach Hanukkah this year, our world is consumed by darkness. And yet this evening we begin to add a little light. Hillel states in the Talmud, Ma’alin B’Kodesh v’Ein Moridin, we are continually ascending in holiness, never descending – so while tonight we have but one solitary flame next to our shamash, with each successive night we add a flame to ascend in our connection to the divine.
And yet, as our tradition states, even the one solitary candle of our first night of Hanukkah can make a world of difference. Just as a little light dispels much darkness, may these first lights we kindle this Hanukkah begin to cast away all forces of evil that surround us.
Rabbi Josh Foster
2nd Night: Jewish Pride/Publicizing the Miracle
The mitzvah of lighting the Hanukkah candles is more than a cozy wintertime ritual. It's a mitzvah commemorating an ancient miracle, and it so is coupled with the concept of pirsumei nissa -- publicizing the miracle. We put our lit hanukiya by the window, letting the light spill out into the public sphere -- broadcasting to the world that we are proud Jews, celebrating the miracle of our existence and perseverance. This year, many of us feel that our safety and security has been compromised, and we may not be as comfortable expressing our Jewish identities publicly. The Talmud tells us that in times of danger, we can light the candles privately. Whether you feel this is a time that calls for caution or a time to live your Judaism loud and proud -- we support you, and as a community we celebrate the miracle of our continued existence and perseverance.
Rabbi Alex Rosenbaum
Miracles - 3rd night
On Hanukkah, we celebrate the miracle of the lights -- how, after reclaiming and rededicating our holy temple, one jug of oil enough to keep
the menorah lit for just one day lasted us eight whole days. We also celebrate the miracle of an impossible victory -- the military triumph of the Hasmoneans over the mighty Greeks. We may not always realize it, but our world is filled with miracles, even today. Miracles of life and love persevering against all odds. The miracle of the earth turning on its axis, of leaves turning to yellow and red, of magical first snows. Miracles great and small are all around us, if only we pay attention -- if we only open ourselves up to the possibility. No one put it better than the late, great poet, Mary Oliver, who wrote: "only if there are angels in your head will you ever, possibly, see one."
Rabbi Alex Rosenbaum
4th Night
Hanukkah literally means dedication, as the Maccabees and the Jewish community in Israel more than 2,000 years ago rededicated the Temple, making it pure and holy once again.
So too, as we celebrate this festival of dedication, let us strive to dedicate ourselves, as the Maccabees did before us, in pursuit of purity and holiness – for ourselves, our family, our community and our world. Let us be mindful that with each act we take, with every decision we make, we have the power to move forward dedicated to ensuring a brighter tomorrow.
Rabbi Josh Foster
5th Night: The Hanukiya
The hanukiya reminds us that every life is infinitely precious. That we are so much more than what we “do,” each possessed of a unique and holy light. According to halakhah - Jewish law - we are not permitted to derive benefit from the Hanukkah candles the way we can use Shabbat candles to light a room, read…etc. We are meant only to look at them and appreciate miracles. What if we looked at each other the way we look at the hanukiya? Not through the lens of: “What benefit can I derive from this person?” Or even, “What does this person have to offer?” But, rather, through the lens of Hanukkah, which would have us simply bask in the miraculous glow of what it means to be alive and part of a community of precious souls. Who simply are, and that’s enough. That’s a miracle.
Rabbi Joshua Jacobs
6th Night: Chag HaBanot
There is a tradition of unknown origins on the 6th night of Hanukkah called Chag HaBanot, Festival of the Daughters. It always coincides with Rosh Chodesh Tevet and celebrates the achievements of women throughout Jewish history. Notably, the story of Judith is often connected to the Hanukkah story, as her bravery in luring and slaying Holofernes routed the enemy army. Many who celebrate this little-known holiday do so with wine and cheese, in honor of the food and drink Judith plied him with. Moreover, it is said that the Maccabean army didn’t start fighting back against Hellenization until Chana, daughter of Matityahu, convinced her brothers to do so. As we light the candles this night to usher in a new month and shed light into the darkness, we offer our gratitude for the long chain of Jewish women in history whose examples teach us courage, uprightness and the joys of a Jewish home.
Cantor Alyssa Rosenbaum
7th Night: Heroism & Resilience 
As we light on this seventh night of Hanukkah with our hanukiyot almost fully ablaze, we honor the heroism and resilience of the modern day Maccabees in Israel and those throughout the Jewish world. In the face of darkness and despair, they light the way for us and remind us to stand strong. In ancient days, the Maccabees fought injustice and persecution. The persistence of the Maccabees ensured the continuation of the Jewish people in the land of Israel. The faith of the Maccabees shone brightly in the rededicated Temple and the flame of Menorah. May we each be inspired to be a Maccabee. May we stand strong and resilient as a Jewish people and in support of Israel. May our fire never be extinguished.
Rabbi Hal Rudin-Luria
8th Night: The Shamash
One of the things which distinguishes a hanukiya from a regular menorah is the presence of the shamash, the helper candle which we use to light the others. The shamash is typically raised in height from the rest of the candles or off to the side on its own, but this is not because it is more important than the other candles; rather, it is because the other 8 lights symbolize the core meaning of the holiday and the miracle of the oil lasting for 8 nights (which then left enough time for more oil to be made so the menorah in the Temple could remain lit). I always find myself feeling a bit bereft after the 8 nights of Hanukkah are over and we are no longer required to light these candles. But the shamash reminds us the importance of helping others, of spreading that brightness in the world.
Notably, during the Pandemic, it was the helpers, the people on the front lines, who continued doing their important jobs in the face of danger, who sustained us all. Their example reminds me of the Maccabees, who fought against seemingly insurmountable odds because they knew the importance of remaining true to ourselves as Jews in the world. Some people during the Pandemic adopted the custom of lighting a solitary shamash the night following Hanukkah, in honor of the helpers of the world. If you find yourself with an extra candle on hand and would find this meaningful, perhaps you may wish to give the shamash one extra night tomorrow to shine its light in the world. Hanukkah comes at a dark time of year, when we need this light to remind us to see and become beacons of hope in the world.
Cantor Alyssa Rosenbaum
