Editorial: Let Hanukkah candles be new prayer for peace

The first candle will be lit tonight.

As the sun sets, the Jewish holiday of Hanukkah begins — an eight-night celebration of a miracle in a time of war.

In the second century B.C.E, a struggle between the Jewish people and the Syrian Greeks resulted in the temple in Jerusalem being desecrated. An altar to Zeus was raised in that holy space.

The Jews could not stand for the killing of their people and the attack on their faith. It took years of rebellion, but they ultimately pushed the Syrian Greeks from their home and reclaimed the house of worship.

The miracle, however, was not simply the small group of Maccabees defeating a larger and better fortified force. It was that the oil necessary to rededicate the temple lasted. What was barely enough for one day burned for eight.

It is a particularly poignant story this year, as Israel grapples with Hamas in a war over the Gaza region. Thousands have died on both sides. Hamas has taken hostages. Israel has responded with siege.

The conflict has spilled across the globe with heightened tensions and escalated instances of antisemitism and Islamophobia. Political lines have been redrawn, with support of Israel or Palestine turning friends into enemies. A hope for an end began with a cease-fire and release of hostages. That collapsed with new attacks.

It is not the kind of peaceful atmosphere of joy and faith one associates with a holiday.

Perhaps this year, each candle lit can be a prayer for a new miracle. One could be for healing, one for strength to endure. There could be lights for hope, diplomacy, tolerance, the ability to bend without breaking. The first could be for consolation in the face of grief. The last could be that gift we have all needed forever — peace.

And in the middle of the hanukkiah, higher than its brothers, stands the shamash candle that lights the others. It could stand for the commitment to find all of these other blessings.

It is important to remember that while Hanukkah is a Jewish holiday, the search for peace and an end to conflict is not just a Jewish plea. It is not just something needed in Israel. In Squirrel Hill, an empty synagogue stands as a monument to what happens when one person sees others as enemies.

If you are Jewish, chag sameach. If you are not, please wish your Jewish neighbors a hearty and heartfelt happy holiday for the next eight nights.