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Shalom friends of the environment!

During the Festival of Lights we celebrate the victory of a small band of Jews standing up for what they believed in–despite great odds, the rededication of the Temple, and the miracle of a tiny jar of oil fueling the Menorah for eight days–a miracle of making a little bit of energy produce a lot of light. Today, there are additional meanings that we can bring to the celebration of Hanukkah related to our use of energy and our responsibility to protect the environment.

What is the connection between Hanukkah, energy use, and the environment?

• Energy conservation (making a little energy go a long way) protects people and the planet. The way we generate and use energy causes a lot of air pollution, which harms human health and causes global climate change. (Global climate change results from a build-up of pollution in the atmosphere, mostly caused by burning oil and other fossil fuels. It threatens to undermine the security–and even the very existence–of people and other species around the globe, and far into the future.)
  
  
• Rededication to protecting God's dwelling place. As the Temple no longer stands, the entire Earth is a dwelling place for the Shechina, the Divine Presence. During Hanukkah, which is a celebration of the rededication of the Temple in Jerusalem, we can rededicate ourselves to protecting the Earth–the only home we have–and its special places–where many of us encounter God.
  
  
• Securing our independence through energy conservation. In these challenging times, as we search for things to do that will help secure our country, reducing our dependence upon oil is among the things we as individuals and as a society can do.

This Hanukkah, we at COEJL invite you (and your students / congregants if you are a teacher or rabbi) to reflect on our contemporary sources of light and learn more about what we can do, in the spirit of the Macabees, to reduce our energy use and help protect the environment and human health. We have prepared an array of resources in a compilation, Let There Be (Renewable) Light: A New Look at Hanukkah, including:

• holiday tips and resources for families, schools, and congregations to infuse Hanukkah celebrations with additional meaning
• tips for what you can do save energy in your congregation / school and at home
• educational programs for religious schools
• youth group and adult education resources
• background about energy issues and global climate change.

Finally, note that many of the activities and resources in this guide can be adapted for different uses. Be sure to look through everything, not just those pages designated for your audience, as you may be able to use pieces of other activities to enhance your own programs. Click here for tips on how to involve your community.

May we merit to see the day when Shalom–peace and wholeness–shelter the Jewish people, the United States, Israel, all other nations, and all creation. In the meantime, each act of Tikkun Olam and every gathering for celebration brings us a little closer.

Chag urim sameach–may you have a joyous festival of lights.

Special thanks to Stefanie Zelkind, National Field Director, Leora Frankel, Project Coordinator, and Sol Poretsky, Web Designer for creating this Celebrate Hanukkah section of our website.