Hanukkah Hope

Dec 17

The miracle isn’t over yet

by Tuvya Zaretsky I December 17, 2025

Hanukkah arrives each year along with longer nights and colder temperatures (at least where I’m from). In the lingering darkness, we instinctively long for warmth, light, and hope. As a child, I enjoyed putting the glowing Hanukkah candles in the front window of our home. Today, I find there is wonder and beauty in the holiday—especially among families that include both Jewish and Gentile heritage. Hanukkah has become for many families an inspiring opportunity to celebrate light during uncertain times.

Too many people miss the hidden hope of Hanukkah. It is seen not just in the customary legend we hear in children’s books and holiday cards, but in the deeper story. That deeper narrative includes history, identity, family, and faith, and it has sustained the Jewish people for thousands of years. And it welcomes non-Jews who, whether through marriage, community, or faith, have come alongside the Jewish people.

Hanukkah’s Origin Story

We often think about the legend of the oil: what was meant to last only one day was sufficient for eight days—long enough to rededicate the Temple. Funnily, though, if you read about the first Hanukkah in the books of the Maccabees, you won’t find that story mentioned—that tradition came later.

The real miracle at the first Feast of Dedication was the survival of the Jewish people.

The Maccabean revolt took place when a foreign empire determined to erase Jewishness. Jewish people were threatened with persecution and extinction. Against all odds, they resisted the invaders, reclaimed their Temple, and restored their worship. And this was not a one-time thing; through the centuries and against all odds, the Jewish people have lived.

Hanukkah is an annual celebration of that endurance. It is a reminder that the Jewish story has not ended—not then, not now, nor will it ever. There is an underlying story in the history of Israel that something, or rather, Someone keeps this people alive.

Miracle of Miracles

When we call Hanukkah a miracle, we are not being sentimental. The continued existence of the Jewish people is a phenomenon unique in world history.

From their days of the Exodus, through the destructions of the First and Second Temples, through exiles to Babylon and Persia, and the scattering into the Diaspora, somehow the Jewish people are still here. Through the medieval horrors of blood libels, Crusades, repeated expulsions, the atrocities of the Holocaust, and, most recently, the tragedies of October 7—the Jewish people have not only survived but thrived, and have contributed to the world in extraordinary ways.

This endurance is not accidental. And it would be naïve to attribute perseverance simply to human resilience. The Jewish people are human in every way as every other nation of people. Jewish survival is evidence of a living, relational God who made covenants and promises to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, which he has kept through every generation. He promised, and he remembered: “I will walk among you and will be your God, and you shall be my people” (Leviticus 26:12).

Hanukkah is a powerful reminder that the same God who preserved his people in the past is preserving them now. It can be your moment to find joy again, no matter what you are walking through. Though we all—Jew and Gentile—often come face-to-face with our own vulnerability, we don’t face it alone.

Holiday Teamwork

At first glance, it may not seem like Hanukkah is the perfect opportunity for an interfaith couple to celebrate together. Maybe what’s more familiar to you is the yearly clash between Hanukkah and Christmas. Which holiday will we put more effort into? Whose relatives will we visit? Will the kids get gifts on the first night of Hanukkah, or Christmas Eve, or both?

But we’ve seen how the December holidays don’t have to compete—they can actually go together!

Here are some ways the two of you might enjoy celebrating together:

Host a family meal with dishes to sample from both of your traditions (you won’t know how appetizing latkes are alongside tamales until you’ve tried it)
Light the Hanukkiah candles as an act of remembrance and thanks for those who came before us
Sing or recite the traditional Hanukkah song “Maoz Tzur” (Rock of Ages)
Read John 1:1-5 from the New Testament—it shows God as the source of life and light for all humanity

Approaching the holidays with hearts that are open to one another gives us a chance to not only enjoy, but to share the light that God has given.

Our Shared Hope

Though intermarriage has long been seen as a threat to the survival of the Jewish people, in some ways, it’s enabled them to thrive. I’ve seen couples where the Gentile partner becomes a powerful ally in standing up to antisemitism. I’ve witnessed how fun it can be when two cultures mishmash their foods and traditions delightfully together. And I’ve seen the joy on couples’ faces when they arrive at a place of understanding each other spiritually, and they’re finally able to pray and read their sacred texts together.

Hanukkah is not only about the past. It is about a future where God’s light shines through his people, bringing healing, freedom, and joy to the world. Wait, does that sound like the prelude to another holiday song?

May you find hope and joy in this Hanukkah season!