Tonight we light the fifth candle of Hanukkah.

I know that for many of us, this Hanukkah feels fraught. Can we celebrate in the midst of such pain for the Jewish people? How do we celebrate a military victory in the midst of a war? And—closer to home—can I celebrate fully and publicly? Is it safe to do so?

The Shalom Hartman Institute, with whom Rabbi Yoshi and I traveled to Israel last month, put together a candle-lighting ritual for this year; it is their attempt to answer those questions, particularly the first. What will it feel like, the teaching opens, to light Hanukkah candles when our Jewish family and friends in Israel are still at war?

Their suggestion comes in the form of leaning into Jewish values. Specifically, the ones they highlight are: heroism, mutual responsibility, belonging, peoplehood, hope, consolation, faith, and peace. Each is embedded into the Hanukkah story, and each has something to teach us about Hanukkah in 2023.

For tonight, the fifth night, their suggestion is to dedicate this candle to hope. In their words:

We light the fifth candle in honor of hope. Theodor Herzl wrote: “First one candle — it is still dark, and the solitary light looks gloomy. Then it finds a companion, then another, and yet another. The darkness must retreat” (“The Menorah”). Just as the Maccabees believed that the little jug of oil would suffice for eight days, we must also believe that even within our imperfect world, we will find a thin light of hope that will allow us to act and create change, our own little jug. During these dark days, we recall the words that encouraged our people throughout the generations: “There is hope for the future…children will return to their borders” (Jer. 31:16). The candle of hope celebrates both the human spirit and our unique culture, which looks toward a better future. 

So tonight, as the five candles plus the shamash find their glow—I hope that, whether you place them in a window or not, the lights of the hanukkiah give you hope for change, for miracles, and for a better future.

-Rabbi Sari Laufer