Hanukkah: A Story of Hope, Then and Now

I wrote this Hanukkah reflection just prior to the Bondi massacre, and did not manage to send it during the days that followed. So here it is, in its original form, published in time for the lighting of the eighth Hanukkah candle.

Words are inadequate to describe the grief of the Jewish community in Australia at this time. Our prayers are with them, and with each of the families, within and beyond the Jewish community, who are mourning their loved ones who were murdered in Australia's worst terrorist attack on home soil. May their memory be a blessing.

One little cruse of oil. Why bother? Why bother to even attempt the ritual lighting of the lamps in a destroyed Jerusalem Temple, when the oil supply would last for no more than a day? This is a detail of the story behind the Jewish festival of lights, Hanukkah, commencing on the eve of the 14 December in 2025. Against a powerful Greek culture that made brutal demands of Jews to force them to assimilate, the Maccabees fought for the freedom of their people to live and worship according to the traditions of their ancestors.

As the story unfolds, not only were they successful in reclaiming the desecrated Temple, but the Jews did proceed to light the Temple menorah. Miraculously, that little cruse of oil lasted for eight days, long enough for fresh supplies of the pure oil required for Temple rituals to be obtained. Today, the eight-day Jewish festival of Hanukkah remembers and shares the story of this miracle and encourages spiritual re-dedication and renewal. A new candle is lit for each day of Hanukkah, blessings are recited, and joyful customs accompany the days of festival. In the symbol of a small cruse of oil, the light of faith and courage of the Jewish people, in the face of overwhelming challenges, is remembered and celebrated.

What message we can take from the image of the cruse of oil? When things seem hopeless, don’t give up!  Do what you can. Have hope. Focus on the light rather than curse the darkness. However small, take that first step, and trust that G-d is with you. The theme could also be described as ‘the power of one’, or the power of the small gesture, of a simple act of faith. In Christian scriptures, a similar message is captured in Gospel stories such as the ‘loaves and fishes’, ‘the mustard seed’, and ‘the widow’s mite’. Small is beautiful. What appears ‘little’ can be great in the eyes of G-d. A vehicle of grace. The beginnings of a miracle.

There are many ways that the story of Hanukkah speaks to us in these times. One from recent days is through the words of the parents of Ran Gvili, the last deceased hostage to be returned from Gaza: “Rani would never have left anyone behind... Please do not take down the yellow flags, do not remove Rani’s photos from the streets...” One last hostage, who is not even alive. Why bother advocating for this ‘one’? Why not just dissolve this parental pain into the sea of grief that engulfs the countless war-torn places on earth? The story of Hanukkah replies: Why not? He is the Givili’s son. Justice demands that his body be returned. Ran was a 24-year-old Israeli policeman who died fighting to protect his community on October 7. His tragic death has meaning, and the return of his remains will offer some hope of closure and healing for his family, his community, his nation. It also offers hope for the Palestinians of Gaza and for the region. The return of the one last hostage will fulfill an essential condition for the completion of the first phase of the fragile plan for ending the war in Gaza, opening a door to the next phase. Bring him home, now.

The story behind the festival of Hanukkah speaks of hope amidst struggle, light amidst destruction. I leave you with this link to an online Hanukkah exhibition at Yad Vashem, the World Holocaust Remembrance Centre. “Through photos, artifacts and personal testimony, this exhibition shares some of the ways this holiday was observed throughout Europe prior to the Holocaust, during the Holocaust years, and in the displaced persons camps and children’s homes following the war.” (YadVashem,org)

By Teresa Pirola, written 14 December 2025, just before 15 people - Jews and others joining in their Hanukkah celebrations - were murdered by two gunmen at Sydney's Bondi Beach.

Image: Shutterstock via Wix

www.lightoftorah.net

In the week following the Bondi massacre, Jewish friends gathered to share the lighting of Hanukkah candles together. Photo: T. Pirola 15.12.25

Floral memorial at the site of the Bondi terrorist attack. Photo: Emma Trassari, 21.12.25