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Festival Of Lights
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CRI, December 29, 2011
Hanukkah is a Jewish festival that has been celebrated each year by Jews all around the world for thousands of years.
Hanukkah, or Guangmingjie in Chinese, is also known as the Festival of Lights, because of the characteristic candle lightening ceremony performed on each Hanukkah evening.
Each night of Hanukkah, the festival is observed by lighting on a candelabrum that is unique to the holiday, called a menorah.
In central Beijing, there is a Jewish community center known as the Chabad house, where they organize events for Hanukkah each year for the local Jewish community.
Since the 6th century BC, Jews have lived all over the world, even in China.
Jews were known to live primarily in the Chinese city of Kaifeng since at least the Northern Song Dynasty, and were known to live elsewhere in China since at least the 8th century.
And during the Holocaust, when Hitler was trying to eradicate the Jewish people, Shanghai was one of the few places in the world that opened its borders and allowed thousands of Jews to enter China as a safe-haven.
This may surprise you, but Jews and Chinese actually have always had a lot in common. They both highly value education. The Rabbi was the wisest and most respected person in the community. "Rabbi" means teacher.
The story of Hanukkah is an ancient story of war and victory - and also of a holy miracle.
Around 170 BC, the Greek King Antiochus wanted to replace Jewish culture with his own. The Second Temple of the Jewish people in Jerusalem was destroyed.
In the temple, like all Jewish temples, there was a flame that must be kept lit forever, representing the eternity of God. The oil for the lamp was nearly out - only enough for one day. And the closest oil was days on horseback.
A rider was set out to retrieve the oil. He didn't return until eight days later. But the lamp was still burning.
