JERUSALEM — Israelis lit the first candle of Hanukkah on Tuesday evening to begin the eight-day Jewish festival of lights, one of the country’s most popular holidays.
Hanukkah commemorates the rededication of the Jewish Second Temple in Jerusalem in 164 B.C. after its desecration by the Syrian Greeks. According to the story told to Jewish children, when the victorious force of Judah Maccabee tried to rekindle the Temple candelabra, or menorah, they found only one day’s worth of olive oil. But tradition says the oil burned for eight days.
For many Jewish people, the holiday symbolizes their triumphs against great odds. Observant Jews light the menorah each night to mark the holiday. More than 80 percent of Israeli Jews light candles every night, according to a recent survey by the Motagim polling center.
The Associated Press
