First, I am going to spell it  Hanukkah because my phone tells me any other spelling is incorrect, and I can not stand the continual criticism.

Second, and you probably know this, Hanukkah is a post-Biblical holiday commemorating the victory of the Jews of the Holy Land over the Greeks, who had captured and defiled the temple in Jerusalem (that is history) and the miracle of a lamp that had one day of oil but burnt for eight days (that is mythology). The revolt was led by the Macabee family (not their real name), who became tyrants themselves (history). Power always corrupts.

Perhaps except for the seven years I was away at school, I have been at Hanukkah candle lightings eight days every year. That means I have been present at the lighting of over 3500 candles.  But, as they say, who’s counting? (Yes, it’s me.)

In religious terms, Hanukkah is a “minor” holiday. Even the most religious Jews work every day of Hanukkah (except for Shabbat, and every Hanukkah has at least one of those), but Hanukkah has become a “major” holiday on the calendar of many Jews, especially those with children and grandchildren. (This is where Art avoids the relationship between Hanukkah and Christmas.)

My favorite Hanukkah story remains the time an old friend was president of the DC Women’s Bar Association and had to pick an evening for their annual gala, which drew enormous crowds. The only available nights at the preferred hotel were during Hanukkah. My friend did not know if this would be acceptable to the many Jewish lawyers, so she called a mutual friend, the most observant Jew she knew, and asked.

She was told it was no problem. I paraphrase: “You light the candles and that is it. Then, you go out to the dinner. Or you even light the candles when you get home.”

Relieved, my friend signed the contract with the hotel, and the invitations went out. You can imagine the firestorm that erupted.

I, of course, knew nothing of this. But my office phone rang one morning. It was my friend, the WBA president, with a simple question: “Art, is Hanukkah a holiday you celebrate only if you aren’t religious?”

Years ago, a former rabbi of our congregation said that she thought that, in fact,  Hanukkah was the most important Jewish holiday because had not the Macabees retaken the temple, Judaism would have ceased to exist. I remember this because I had never heard anyone say this before. As I thought about it over time, though, I realized that no one ever said this before because she was wrong. I wonder what she thinks today.

I don’t want to forget the dreidels, although there were none last night. I will honor them by recalling a cartoon I saw last year. A lady dreidel gets out of the shower. An impatient male dreidel looks at her as she steps out and says: You mean you aren’t dry and ready?

At any rate, the first candles were lit, and blessings sung with verve last night at Michelle’s,  with first class latkes fried by Josh. I topped mine with feta cheese. Feta cheese, you say? Art, you have played right into the hands of those damn Greeks.