Chanukah Heroes
AS WE LIGHT THE THIRD CANDLE, we consider how fostering Jewish, Zionist and Hebrew education and Jewish spiritual and cultural values help to preserve our Jewish identity. Antiochus sought to eradicate Jewish peoplehood by preventing the observance of religious practices. Zionism is an important force in the strengthening of Jewish identity and values. Our commitment to Hebrew language and literature, and Israeli culture and society enriches our lives.
Hannah Senesh,
Chanukah hero:
Hannah Senesh, Israeli National Heroine
Hannah Senesh (1921-1944) was a poet and playright who wrote in both Hungarian and Hebrew. At the age of 18, she took the initiave to immigrate from Hungary to what was then Palestine. Her dedication to serving the Jewish people motivated her to join the Haganah, the beginnings of the Israeli defense force. After enlisting in the British Army and becoming a paratrooper, she parachuted into Yugoslavia in March 1944 on a daring mission: to save the Jews of Hungary from deportion to the Nazi concentration camp Auschwitz. She was caught at the border with Hungary, but even under torture, she refused to betray her fellow parachuters. She was executed by firing sqaud on November 7, 2008.
Senesh is a Chanukah hero because:
- She was a brave fighter on behalf of the Jewish people who acted on her belief in defending and strengthening Jewish identity and culture
- She was a talented young poet whose words continue to inspire us today
Chaim Bialik on an Israeli stamp
Chanukah hero:
Chaim Nachman Bialik, Israel's National Poet
Chaim Bialik (1873-1934) is known as Israel’s national poet. Born in the Ukraine, Bialik was active in Zionist and literary circles in Odessa, writing in Hebrew long before it was the modern language of Israel. He wrote long, nationalistic poems about the Jewish people, love poems, and nature poems. He moved to Tel Aviv in 1924, where he was celebrated as a famous literary figure.
Bialik is a Chanukah hero because:
- He worked to revitalize Hebrew as the national Jewish language
- His poems expressed the unity of the Jewish people and its bond to its historic homeland Eretz Yisrael
