Hanukkah miracles teach resilience, faith, and Jewish identity, inspiring teens to shine amid darkness.
Last week, we celebrated Hanukkah, the Festival of Lights—a holiday deeply rooted in the idea of miracles. But Hanukkah is not only about what happened long ago. It challenges us to ask why miracles matter, and what they mean for Jewish life today.
At its heart, Hanukkah is the story of light refusing to surrender to darkness. A small group stood firm against overwhelming forces. A tiny flask of oil burned far longer than expected. These miracles were not just supernatural events—they were reminders that faith, courage, and identity can change the course of history.
Each Sunday, I meet with teens in the Kitah High program to explore questions like these. Together, we look beyond the candles and songs to uncover the deeper messages of Jewish holidays: resilience in difficult times, the power of belief, and the responsibility each generation carries to keep Jewish light alive.
What makes these conversations special is the honesty and curiosity teens bring to the table. They wrestle with big ideas—faith, identity, pressure, purpose—and discover that Judaism speaks directly to their lives today, not only to the past. Hanukkah becomes more than a tradition; it becomes a lens through which they understand their own strength.
If you think your teen would enjoy meaningful, thoughtful discussions about Jewish values and real-world issues—together with peers their age from around the world—I warmly invite you to reach out. Sometimes, the greatest miracle is giving young Jews the space to think, question, and grow.
