In a Talmudic passage (Shabbat 21b) about how to light the chanukiah, Beit Shammai opines that the number of lights should decrease each day – eight on the first night and only one on the last night – to correspond to the days left of the holiday or to the number of bulls that were brought as offerings in the Temple on Sukkot. Beit Hillel disagrees and argues that we should add light each day to our chanukiah because we should continuously strive to grow in holiness.
Our practice follows the custom of Beit Hillel, and on this final night of Chanukah, our chanukiah will be ablaze, reminding us to increase holiness around us. On this Chanukah, many of us are feeling the forces of injustice, illiberalism, fear and hate darkening our world. In a well-known Chanukah song, Banu Hosech (Dispel the Darkness), we sing kol echad hu or katan v’chulanu or eitan (everyone is a small light, but together we shine powerfully). Tomorrow, we’ll dewax our chanukiot and put them away for another year, but may the glow of tonight’s fully lit chanukiah compel us to work together to increase holiness by illuminating our world with the light of justice, democracy, mutual understanding and love.
– Rabbi Andrea London, Past J Street Rabbinic and Cantorial Cabinet Chair; Senior Rabbi, Beth Emet The Free Synagogue, Evanston, Illinois
J Street is entering 2025 stronger and brighter than ever before in the history of our organization. And with Trump soon taking office and the war still ongoing in Israel and Gaza, we’re gearing up for the fight of our lives. On this final night, our flame must remain raging.
In the immediate aftermath of the election, supporters like you turned to each other and turned to us for support. Now, we’re looking for direction – a testament to the resilience and passion of our movement.
That’s why we’ve hit the ground running to press for immediate, meaningful action from the Biden Administration in the time it has left in office. And until the clock strikes January 20, we’re not stopping. We’ve seen President Biden respond, issuing sanctions against groups leading the settlement movement in the West Bank, but we’re demanding more.
Together, we’re leading the Jewish opposition to Trump’s extremist MAGA, Project 2025 agenda that threatens our freedoms, our values, our safety and everything we hold dear. In Israel, we’re bracing for an unrestrained Netanyahu who’ll have full White House backing for his pro-war, anti-democratic, annexationist agenda.
We’re not backing down – we’re moving forward, and we need you by our side in this fight. Only together can we build a future guided by the light of justice, democracy and mutual understanding.