The Light We Share
Mexico
Bazman Hazé, Miracles in Our Time
France
A Living Shehecheyanu Blessing
São Paulo - Brazil
Chanukah as a Declaration of Hope
United Kingdom
Our Light, God’s Miracle
Germany
The Light We Share
Isidoro Sirazi Cherem
President of Maguen David Community, Mexico
This year, as we welcome Chanukah, the meaning of light overcoming darkness feels especially real. After months of uncertainty, fear, and collective heartbreak, our community finally witnessed what can only be described as a modern miracle: the safe return of our hostages. It is a moment that has filled our hearts with relief, gratitude, and a renewed sense of faith in the resilience of our people.
Chanukah has always reminded us that even in the bleakest moments, light finds its way back. The miracle of the oil lasting eight days is not only a story from our past, it is a symbol of the strength that has carried us through every challenge we have faced as a people. This year, that message feels deeply personal. The return of our beloved hostages is a reminder that even when hope feels fragile, it is never lost.
Lighting the chanukiah this year carries a new emotional weight. Each flame is a reflection of the courage of those who returned, the bravery of those who fought for them, and the unity of a community that refused to give up. When we place our chanukiahs in our windows and doorways, we are not only publicizing an ancient miracle, we are honouring a miracle we just lived.
Even when hope feels fragile, it is never lost.
This Chanukah inspires me because it shows us that resilience is not theoretical; it lives within us. It reminds us that we are part of a people who have survived, rebuilt, and stood together again and again. It gives us hope that the days ahead will be brighter, calmer, and filled with renewed purpose.
As we gather with family and friends, may we take a moment to breathe, to give thanks, and to recognize the light that has returned to so many homes. May this Chanukah strengthen our unity, comfort those still healing, and remind us that no matter how deep the darkness may feel, light always prevails.
Wishing our entire community a happy Chanukah filled with peace, healing, and gratitude!!
Bazman Hazé, Miracles in Our Time
Linda Atoui
France
Article disponible en français ci-dessous.
Chanukah is known as the festival of light, oil, and miracles.
When we speak of the miracles of Chanukah, we think on the one hand of the small jar of oil that allowed the lights to burn for eight days, and on the other hand of the courage of the Maccabees, who in a troubled time took up arms to defend themselves against oppression and, against all odds, managed to defeat an enemy superior in numbers and strength.
If all the holidays in the calendar carry a message of hope and gratitude, Hanukkah resonates even more this year. How can we not see in the events of recent months a repetition of the Hanukkah story?
The miracle wasn’t that the small amount of oil the Maccabees found in the Temple was able to burn at all, the miracle was that it lasted for eight days. That length of time is completely out of the ordinary, impossible to explain by the laws of nature. It was a unique phenomenon in history, one that has never happened again.
Or could it be that this phenomenon has quietly repeated itself bazman haze, in our own time?
How else can we explain the fact that Israel’s economy continues to hold strong?
The war could have brought the entire economy to its knees, causing isolation, a drop in production, or a collapse in consumption. We don’t have to look far for an example of what could have been, just look at Lebanon, the small neighbouring country of similar size.
Despite all this, tourism persists, start-ups thrive and multiply, and research continues to advance. The economy sometimes suffers, facing difficulties and slowdowns, yet it holds strong far longer than that of any other country at war.
One of our strengths is that little spark of madness needed to move mountains, and a dash of chutzpah.
Some may offer rational explanations rooted in economic theory. For my part, I would offer a more subjective perspective on the question that inspires such pride within us and stirs admiration, and sometimes even envy among those watching from the outside: Why? And why Israel? What is it that this nation, this small people, possesses that sets it apart from all others?
The first explanation lies in its people. Whether in Israel or in the diaspora, one of our strengths is perhaps that little spark of madness needed to move mountains, and a dash of chutzpah. How many countries can boast to have a population that rushes into the country in times of war? Emergency flights being organized to bring people back into a country at war.
Jews in the diaspora do not waver; they continue traveling to Israel, helping sustain tourism and the economy. They continue to support and invest in Israel through Israel Bonds, seeing it as a moral duty to contribute to the collective effort.
But all of this exists solely because we know that miracles are possible. Ben-Gurion used to say that in Israel, anyone who does not believe in miracles is not being realistic. We have witnessed them in the past, and we can witness them in the present. Bayamim hahem, bazman hazeh—in those days, in our days.
Bazman Hazé - Des miracles à notre époque.
Linda Atoui
France
Hanouka est connue comme la fête de la lumière, de l’huile et des miracles.
Quand on parle des miracles de Hanouka on pense d’une part à la fiole d’huile qui permit aux lumières de brûler 8 jours, et d’autre part au fait que les Maccabées ont eu le courage, dans une époque troublée, de prendre les armes pour se défendre contre l’oppression, et parvinrent contre toute attente à défaire un ennemi supérieur en nombre et en force.
Si toutes les fêtes du calendrier portent un même message d’espoir et de reconnaissance, Hanouka raisonne un peu plus cette année. Comment ne pas voir dans les évènements de ces derniers mois une répétition de l’histoire de Hanouka.
Ce phénomène unique dans l’histoire ne s’est jamais reproduit … ou peut-être discrètement, bazman hazé.
Le miracle n’est pas que la petite quantité d’huile utilisée par les Maccabées au Temple ait pu brûler, le miracle est qu’elle ait duré 8 jours. Cette durée est anormale, inexplicable par les lois de la nature. C’est un phénomène unique dans l’histoire et qui ne s’est jamais plus reproduit.
A moins que ce phénomène ne se soit reproduit discrètement bazman hazé, à notre époque ?
Comment expliquer le fait que l’économie israélienne tienne bon ?
La guerre aurait pu mettre à terre toute une économie, provoquer isolement, baisse de la production ou de la consommation. Il ne faut pas chercher loin pour avoir l’exemple d’un petit pays frontalier, de même taille il suffit de regarder le Liban.
Malgré tout cela le tourisme résiste, les start-ups prospèrent et se multiplient, la recherche avance. L’économie souffre parfois, subit difficultés et ralentissements, mais tient le coup.
Beaucoup plus longtemps que tous les autres pays en guerre.
Certains trouveront des explications rationnelles basées sur des théories économiques. Pour ma part je peux proposer une réponse -subjective- à l’interrogation qui provoque autant de fierté chez nous que d’admiration et parfois de jalousie chez les observateurs : pourquoi, et pourquoi Israël ? Qu’est-ce que cette nation, ce petit peuple, possède de différent des autres ?
Une des forces est probablement ce petit grain de folie nécessaire pour déplacer des montagnes… et une bonne dose de chutzpah
La première explication tient dans son peuple, qu’il soit en Israel ou en diaspora une des forces est probablement ce petit grain de folie nécessaire pour déplacer des montagnes… et une bonne dose de chutzpah. Combien de pays peuvent se vanter d’avoir un peuple qui en cas de guerre se précipite pour rentrer dans le pays ? Les vols d’urgence avaient pour but de rapatrier des gens pour les ramener dans un payFchutzs en guerre.
Les juifs de diaspora ne fléchissent pas, partent toujours en Israel ce qui maintient le tourisme et l’économie. Ils continuent de soutenir et d’investir en Israël via Israel Bonds, considérant cela comme un devoir moral de participer à l’effort collectif. Mais tout cela existe car nous savons que les miracles sont possibles. Ben Gourion disait qu’en Israel celui qui ne croit pas aux miracles n’est pas réaliste. Nous l’avons expérimenté dans le passé. Nous pouvons aussi en vivre dans le présent. Bayamim hahème, bazman hazé.
Am Israel Hai
A Living Shehecheyanu Blessing
Ricardo Heumann
São Paulo - Brazil
I write this with my heart overflowing with emotion, just hours after celebrating my daughter’s Bat Mitzvah. Beyond the significance of this milestone, we received the profound and unmistakable love of family and community.
Her Kidush Bat, Bat Mitzvah Celebration, was the first held in a newly opened synagogue in São Paulo, Brazil. Among those who filled the room with joy was my grandmother, who turned 100 this year. A survivor of Auschwitz and Bergen Belsen, she danced with her great granddaughter to Am Israel Chai, the people of Israel live. Seeing four generations of our family together felt like the Shehecheyanu blessing — a prayer of gratitude for reaching a special moment — brought to life in an image, a pulse, and a moment of pure vitality.
Like the Chanukah miracle, many once believed the light of Am Israel would not survive beyond 1945. Yet here we stand, strong, resilient, together and witness to miracles. Our light has not only endured, it burns even brighter.
We are a vibrant and multicultural community of immigrants who found in Brazil the chance for a fresh new start. Since October 7, 2023, we have increasingly recognized ourselves as one flame, a great chanukiah whose candles represent different traditions, cultures, and stories, all shining in harmony on the same foundation of faith, unity, and responsibility for one another.
Edith Rosenbaum, a 100-year-old Holocaust survivor, with her great-grandchildren. From left to right: Rony Heumann, Carolina Heumann, Guilherme Bernstein, and Julie Heumann.
This Chanukah marks the beginning of a healing process for all of us: a deliberate turn toward the future rather than reliving the trauma of October 7. We are hearing about the experiences of our chayalim, supporting their recovery, creating support centres in Israel, mobilizing leadership, countering disinformation, and organizing efforts that offer comfort, protection, and dignity to our people in Israel and here at home.
This year, our synagogues were full again during the holidays with participation levels not seen since before the pandemic, even in the face of threats and tension. That alone is a modern day miracle. It shows that we learned from the generations before us who always warned us about antisemitism. We took that bitter pill and emerged stronger, more vigilant, and better prepared for the challenges and the opportunities ahead.
May the light of Chanukah illuminate the soul and the home of each of us. May it bring peace, safety, healing, and prosperity. And may it continue to guide our people with courage, pride, and hope.
Chanukah as a Declaration of Hope
Orit Usharovsky
Israel Bonds Sr. Sales Executive, United Kingdom
This year, as we prepare to light Chanukah candles, the message of the festival feels more urgent and more uplifting than ever. Chanukah has always taught us that even a small flame can push away great darkness. But in a time when many of us have been searching for reassurance, unity, and the strength to move forward, the act of lighting the menorah becomes more than a ritual, it becomes a declaration of hope.
What feels different this year is our increased awareness of how much the world needs light, and how powerful it is when we actively choose to create it. The menorah in our window is no longer simply a symbol of a miracle long ago; it is an invitation to notice the everyday miracles still happening around us. We may see them in the kindness of communities supporting one another, or in the simple resilience of continuing cherished traditions despite uncertainty.
Lighting the menorah also reminds us that hope is built collectively. Each candle is small on its own, but together they brighten the entire room. This year, I feel more connected to that sense of shared illumination, the way one person’s courage encourages another, and one act of generosity inspires many more. When we light publicly, in our windows, doorways, and communal spaces, we are not just remembering the miracle of the oil; we are proclaiming our belief that light still endures, grows, and spreads.
Hope, ultimately, is the greatest miracle Chanukah offers. As we add one candle each night, we affirm that brightness increases, that joy can expand, and that faith in ourselves, in our communities, and in the future can be renewed. This Chanukah, may the light we share illuminate far beyond our windows, strengthening us and inspiring all who see it.
Photo by Michael Lee
Our Light, God’s Miracle
Rabbi Moshe Mendelzon
Chabad emissary, Frankfurt
This Chanukah, we return to a powerful message first taught by the Baal Shem Tov and later emphasized and brought to life globally by the Lubavitcher Rebbe. This teaching feels more relevant now than ever: “A little bit of light dispels a great deal of darkness.”
The Lubavitcher Rebbe explained that light does not need to fight darkness. It simply needs to shine. And when we bring even a small measure of light into the world, God multiplies it. Our responsibility is to light the first candle, to do our part, while God carries that light far beyond what we could ever imagine.
This is the essence of Chanukah. The menorah in the Beit Hamikdash did not burn because they had enough oil; it burned because they lit it anyway. The miracle came only after human effort. That single act of courage, lighting with what little they had, is what invited divine abundance.
So too today. Each menorah glowing in a window, each mitzvah performed, each bond supporting Israel, is a way of saying: We will add light. We will not wait for the world to be perfect before we illuminate it.
In Israel and around the world, we see countless expressions of this faith; a soldier lighting a candle on base, a family celebrating despite displacement, a community coming together to support, rebuild, and uplift. These are not grand gestures; they are single flames. Yet each one brightens not only the room in which it stands, but the world in which we all live.
This Chanukah, may the kindling of each flame bring forth the greatest
and brightest light
Chanukah reminds us that we are partners with God. We kindle the flame; He spreads the glow. We add one act of kindness, one mitzvah, one moment of unity He transforms it into strength and blessing for Am Yisrael.
May the lights we place in our windows this year shine outward with confidence and joy, proclaiming that Jewish light is everlasting, that hope is stronger than fear, and that the smallest, good deed ignites a divine response.
This Chanukah, may the kindling of each flame bring forth the greatest and brightest light: a light of peace for Israel, a light of comfort for the brokenhearted, a light of unity for the Jewish people, and a light so powerful that no shadow can remain.
May every mitzvah, every candle, every act of goodness hastens the moment when the entire world is filled only with God’s radiance with the ultimate and eternal light of Moshiach.
Wishing you and your families a warm, safe, and inspiring Chanukah.