Where Would You Spend Hanukkah?

Where would you spend the eight-day festival of Hanukkah, if you had to choose? Tel Aviv or Jerusalem? Paris, the "city of lights"?  At home, here in New Jersey, or across the Hudson in New York City?  Well, here are Tom Lehrer's thoughts on the matter:





Where you spend Hanukkah may determine what your dreydel says.  If you're outside Israel, your dreydel should have the four letters:
 nun נ
gimel ג
hei ה
shin ש
which stand for Nes Gadol Hayah Sham, a Great Miracle Happened There!

But in Israel, the fourth letter is a
pei פ
which stands for Nes Gadol Hayah Po, a Great Miracle Happened Here!  

Which brings us to this jazzy video featuring Israeli rapper Sagol 59's "Take Five"-inspired Hanukkah melody:





And so, wherever you may be right now, we wish you a happy Hanukkah, as we prepare to light the eighth and final light of the holiday!

The Hanukkah Machines

How about this Hanukkah greeting from the fabled Technion in Israel? Hanukkah 101 - Rube Goldberg Machine - Technion Israel is based on the convoluted inventions that sprang from the imagination of Jewish cartoonist Rube Goldberg, and took form in his syndicated newspaper comic strip.  His name became synonymous with the kinds of machines that are depicted here, in this year's Hanukkah video from Israel's Institute of Technology:

And here's what they have to say about the video:

Technion students Eyal Cohen and Tomer Wassermann from the Mechanical Engineering faculty and Matan Orian and Dvir Dukhan of Industrial Engineering and Management take on the challenge to build a Rube Goldberg machine that lights the Chanukah menorah. Hanukkah is the holiday of miracles and here is another one. 

Eyal Cohen and Matan Orian are winners of the annual Technion Dr. Bob's TechnoBrain competition, supported by Dr. Robert Shillman in memory of Technion student Neev-Ya Durban. 

The film was made in the Computer Integrated Manufacturing and Robotics Laboratory in the William Davidson Faculty of Industrial Engineering and Management

Now, maybe you're saying, how in the world did they do that?  Well, you're in luck, because they also have provided us with a "making of" video, Hanukkah 101 - Behind the Scenes - Rube Goldberg Machine - Technion:





Whatever you may think of their efforts, they're certainly a bit more advanced than this American "Auto Menorah":





Well, fortunately, there's no need to reinvent the wheel, or the menorah, so keep on lighting those lights as we continue to celebrate the eight nights of Hanukkah, and look forward to kindling the Shabbat lights tonight as well!

Hanukkah Shine!

Whether it's lamps burning olive oil, or candles of various sizes and colors, or electric lights, we know Hanukkah as the Jewish festival of lights.  But maybe the latest version of the Hanukkah "miracle" expressed in the cartoon below is going a little too far in trying to modernize the holiday? What do you think?

Well, for a bit more of a traditional spirit to the contemporary celebration of Hanukkah, how about this brand new video from The Maccabeats - Shine - Hanukkah:

And here's some information from the write-up on YouTube:

Music video for "Shine," an original song by the MaccabeatsVideo by Uri Westrich Uri@driveinproductions.com
Lyrics: http://www.maccabeats.com/resources/lyrics/
iTunes: https://itunes.apple.com/us/album/shine-single/id584892385
Join the Miracle Match Campaign:http://www.makesomemiracles.com
This and all Maccabeats music is recorded a cappella. http://www.maccabeats.com
Bookings: booking@maccabeats.com
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/maccabeats
Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/maccabeats

And here are the lyrics:

SHINE 

Original Artist: The Maccabeats
Lyrics and Music: Julian Horowitz with Isaac Raisner and Ari Lewis 

I see a light, reflection refraction;
Is it nothing more than a chemical reaction;
It flickers and grows, nobody knows;
How much we feel how quickly it goes; 

Turn off the dark and vanquish the night;
Show the whole world for eight days at twilight;
Then and now they fought and we fight;
Fight for the right to live by our own light; 

Let me see the light;
Give me something to live by;
Let me see the light;
I need something to live by; 

Help me see myself in my reflection;
Shine tonight;
Let me shed the light in each direction;
Shining bright;
I wanna see the light; 

A million times the speed of sound;
Fast enough to go around;
the world that we live in, so much cold and strife;
One little light to warm another life; 

Fill the darkest night with the brightest light;
Cause its time for you to shine;
A little dedication, a small illumination;
Just one person to change a whole nation; 

Let me see the light;
Give me something to live by;
Let me see the light;
I need something to live by; 

Help me see myself in my reflection;
Shine tonight;
Let me shed the light in all directions;
Shining bright;
I wanna see the light;
Is this spark that we sing of anything;
Hiding somewhere in between everything;
Let the colors burn in a brilliant burst;
Like a shooting star falling to the earth; 

Help me see myself in my reflection;
Shine tonight;
Let me shed the light in each direction;
Shining bright

And with that we say, Happy Hanukkah, and Shine On!

Heifer at Hanukkah

For something a little different, and maybe a little more significant, than the eight nights of gifts and gelt, Heifer International has its Heifer at Hanukkah campaign.  Here's what they have to say on the web page devoted to this holiday-time social action appeal:

Looking for meaningful Hanukkah gift ideas for that special child in your life? Why not give the joy of helping a family in need. 

Donate a flock of chicks, tree seedlings, a goat, a water buffalo or maybe even a heifer to a family somewhere in the world. Your gift will improve their nutrition and help them generate income in sustainable ways. 

Watch this fun video as Hollywood celebrities Ed Asner and Mark Feuerstein tell you why a gift to Heifer is the perfect Hanukkah gift!

And here is the video:




On their web page they have a nice little spiel about tzedakah that's worth sharing here:

Giving to charity (tzedakah) is a mitzvah – a good deed in Judaism. It’s one of the most important things we do as Jews. 

Your family’s gift to Heifer is special. Not only will you and your children experience the joy of helping others, your gift will also multiply as recipients give their first female offspring to another family in need – what we call “Passing on the Gift”. Thanks to your family, the recipients will experience the joy of giving as well.

And they also have a few words to say about tikkun olam:

It’s our responsibility as Jews to help repair the world – to fix what’s broken (tikkun olam). That’s what Heifer does, every day all around the world. 

Our work helps families rise from poverty to self-reliance, what Maimonides considered the highest form of charity. With your generous Hanukkah gift, a family or perhaps an entire community will acquire the resources and training it needs to do so.

They have a whole catalog of gift ideas, and as they explain

You’ll have an opportunity to personalize a Hanukkah gift card for your children or grandchildren. We’ll also send you the link to a special Hanukkah video message from Ed Asner and Mark Feuerstein to your children. 

On that special Hanukkah night, show your children the gift card, play the special Hanukkah video message from Ed Asner and Mark Feuerstein, and share with them in the joys of tzedakah and tikkun olam.

And we might as well take a look at this other video:




And let's see what Heifer International has to say about themselves:

Heifer International does so much more than put food in the mouths of hungry people; we help them feed themselves. This simple idea of giving families a source of food rather than short-term relief has always been at the heart of our mission and has continued for almost 70 years. Today, millions of families in 128 countries have been given the gifts of self-reliance and hope. 

The goal of every Heifer project is sustainability – project partners achieving self-reliance through training and a starter gift of livestock. Partners receive training in our Twelve Cornerstones, support to form community organizations and women’s groups, and the necessary tools and knowledge to properly care for their gifts.

Year after year, as Heifer project families Pass on the Gift of knowledge and one or more of their animals’ offspring to others in need, they become links in a network of hope, dignity and self-reliance that helps hundreds of others care for themselves. Heifer at Hanukkah is here to help you donate a sustainable gift that can last throughout the season.

Their slogan is:

YOU CAN MAKE A DIFFERENCE

and if Lou Grant says it's true, it's gotta be so!

Hanukkah A Cappella

StandFour, an a cappella group consisting of four former members of a group called The Maccabeats, have a new video on YouTube entitled  StandFour - Eight Nights - Hanukkah Mashup, and it seemed like the perfect thing to share with you this Hanukkah morning. 

According to the write up, the song is a "parody mashup of Some Nights by Fun, Die Young by Ke$ha, and Live While We're Young by One Direction. The members of the group are David Block, Noey Jacobson, Nachum Joel, and Immanuel Shalev, and the video was produced by LNC Productions. And they explain their intent as follows: "After graduating from Yeshiva University we wanted to continue to make music that is both fun and inspiring. We believe in bringing out the meaning present in all things - that's what we stand for".






And here are the lyrics to the song:

Eight nights I stay up starin' at those candles,
They tell the story that occurred,
Eight nights we're thankful for that small miracle,
Our prayers were answered and our voices heard

When One night turned to eight, that's why we celebrate,
In the dark of night the candles stand for,
Oh the candles stand for,
The candles stand for.
Eight nights that we know [cuz it's finally here]....
we're not alone. [cuz it's finally here]

C'mon, its Chanukah we've waited for a whole a year
Just light a spark in the dark and spread the cheer,
Cuz on these holiday nights,
Grab your friends, celebrate, cuz it's finally here
Eight nights remember the war we won
The Greeks tried to erase who we are
Eight nights we're thankful to God above
Who showed he's even with us in the dark

When one night turned to eight,
that's why we celebrate,
In the dark of night the candles stand for,
Oh the candles stand for,
The candles stand for.
Eight nights that we know....
[not alone] [no we're not alone] [cuz it's finally here] not alone.

Let's go Dreidel! Dreidel! Dreidel! Oh I shall play
I dropped a jelly donut on my pants, oy vey!
Cuz when you're flipping latkes you can't go wrong
Making random Jewish references in a Chanuka song
Dreidel! Dreidel! Dreidel! Oh I shall play
I dropped a jelly donut on my pants, oy vey!
Cuz when you're flipping latkes you can't go wrong
Making random Jewish references in a Chanuka song

Eight nights I stay up starin' at those candles,
They tell the story that occurred,
Eight nights we're thankful for that small miracle,
Prayers were answered, our voices heard

When one night turned to eight, that's why we celebrate,
In the dark of night the candles stand for,
Oh the candles stand for,
The candles stand for.
Eight nights that we know...
[Cuz it's finally here],
Eight nights that we know,
[cuz it's finally here] eight nights that we know - no we're not alone

So Happy Happy Hanukkah, and if you like a cappella performances, be sure to join us on the evening of Thursday, January 10, as Congregation Adas Emuno hosts the only Bergen County appearance of the Jewish singing group from Yale University, Magevit!

Have A Zazzy Hanukkah!

"Hanukkah Zazz" is an app for iPad, iPhone, iPod Touch and Android devices featuring Zazzy Katz, the holiday party cat! We're not involved in endorsing it, but they do have a pretty neat Hanukkah video on YouTube that we're happy to share with you here, in celebration of the second light of the season:






And here's another neat video with a bit of a promotion that we have no stake in or connection to, but that may be of interest, and may be worthwhile. The video features three Hanukkah songs, The Chanukah Song, Burn Little Candles, and Hanukkah, Happy Holiday. The songs are lovingly performed, displaying lyric and chords so you can learn to play them yourselves. And most significantly of all, they are presented in the video along with music therapy applications. On the YouTube page it says that you can download the songs for free at the http://musictherapytunes.com music page!





And with that, we conclude by saying, have a very zazzy, and loving Hanukkah!!

Happy Hanukkah!

On this first day of Hanukkah, let's celebrate last night's lighting of the first light with a brand new Hanukkah song, Happy Hanukkah, by Matisyahu, aka Matthew Paul Miller, the Jewish-American reggae and rock sensation:





Over on the YouTube page for Matisyahu "Happy Hanukkah" (Official Video) - New Song, it explains that

All Proceeds through the End of Hanukkah will be donated to Hurricane Sandy Relief.
For more info visit: http://bit.ly/MatisyahuHanukkah
Donate and download at http://bit.ly/MatisyahuHanukkah
Available on iTunes: http://smarturl.it/h55ln4
Available on Amazon: http://amzn.to/Tcev1n
Matisyahu & William Paid: Get an exclusive acoustic Matisyahu track, recorded live from Vancouver, for giving us a try: http://wpaid.it/TeKTzI
Directed by: Jungle George Pimentela

And in case you were interested in reading the lyrics, or as much of them as listeners were able to make out and post online, here they are:

Matisyahu – Happy Hanukkah Lyrics

Chorus:
Happy Hanukkah! I wanna give a gift to you
Light up the night, my love shine through
From mount Zion, this is what we do, bring love to you
Happy Hanukkah! I wanna give a gift to you
Light up the night, my love shine through
From mount Zion, this is what we do, bring love to you

Today is the day, tonight is the night
Sons of twilight had done come along, take flight
High and twinkling, and swindling and a shooting in the sky
I’m shining, and I’m feeling alright
Lite a candle for the one you love
Peace and light from below to above
Eight nights, celebrate till I flying in the sky like a dove
Let me unwind as I light up a flame in the name of the lion of Judah
Drop like a hammer when I feel like the Rimson shovel
Feel like a rubber when I hit like a train

Chorus:
Happy Hanukkah! I wanna give a gift to you
Light up the night, my love shine through
From mount Zion, this is what we do, bring love to you
Happy Hanukkah! I wanna give a gift to you
Light up the night, my love shine through
From mount Zion, this is what we do, bring love to you

To get into the cosmos flows in top
When I write to excite, now I’m fighting back
In the …(?) to divine, as it’s a better thing to spine (?)
It’s a battle from the ancient line
So now can ever, maccabee (?) till the end of time
You’re my light in the saddest time
Yes you bring piece to my mind
Won’t you please let me unwind
As I light up a flame in he name of the lion of Judah
Droṗ like a hammer when I feel like the Rimson shovel
Feel like rubber when I hit like a train

Chorus:
Happy Hanukkah! I wanna give a gift to you
Light up the night, my love shine through
From mount Zion, this is what we do, bring love to you
Happy Hanukkah! I wanna give a gift to you
Light up the night, my love shine through
From mount Zion, this is what we do, bring love to you

Celebration, get your hands up high, get your hands up high
Celebration, get your hands up high, get your hands up high
Celebration,
Celebration-bration-bration-bration

Chorus:
Happy Hanukkah! I wanna give a gift to you
Light up the night, my love shine through
From mount Zion, this is what we do, bring love to you
Happy Hanukkah! I wanna give a gift to you
Light up the night, my love shine through
From mount Zion, this is what we do, bring love to you

Celebration, get your hands up high, get your hands up high
Celebration, get your hands up high, get your hands up high
Celebration,
Celebration-bration-bration-bration

By the way, appropriately enough, Matisyahu, which is the Hebrew name that he grew up with, is an Ashkenazic Hebrew pronunciation of a Biblical Hebrew name מתתיהו (Mattityahu), which is rendered in Greek as Mattathias, the name of the leader of the Maccabees back in the 2nd century BCE. You can read more about the singer over on his Wikipedia entry, if you're interested.

And did you catch him on Leno the other night, performing Happy Hanukkah live for the Tonight Show audience? If not, here it is:





And with that, on behalf of Congregation Adas Emuno we say, Happy Hanukkah to one and all!