Photo of Aye Minus by Eliana Hiam ’25.
The start of Chanukah nearly coincided with Thanksgiving this year, reminding people of 2013’s so-called “Thanksgivukkah.” The Jewish calendar depends on the lunar phases, so according to the Gregorian calendar we commonly use, the placement of Jewish holidays changes every year. Because Chanukah did not fall during Conn’s winter break, Connecticut College Hillel organized events allowing students to celebrate the Festival of Lights even though they are not at home. These events included nightly candle lightings at Zachs Hillel House and a Chanukah party in Cro’s Nest. Rabbi Susan Schein, the Director of Zachs Hillel House and the College Chaplain, shared, “Although Chanukah is a minor festival on the Jewish calendar, it is a major celebration in many American Jewish homes. We’re lucky enough this year to have the whole festival while on campus so it’s important for students to celebrate each night of Chanukah together.”
“Chanukah is a holiday that recognizes and honors religious freedom. In ancient times, when the historical Chanukah took place, Jews were not allowed to pray freely. So when we light our chanukiah, we are instructed to put it in the window in order to ‘publicize the miracle’ and show that we feel free,” Rabbi Susan explained. “At this time in America when many minorities feel more vulnerable than in the past, it’s important to remember and affirm religious freedom for all,” she added.
According to the traditional Chanukah story, the menorah in the old temple in Israel had seven branches, the number seven representing wholeness. The candelabra used at Conn is called a chanukiah and has nine branches. The middle branch holds a candle called the shamash, which is used to light the other eight candles on each night of Chanukah. A new candle is added each night until the chanukiah is full, celebrating the eight nights that the oil lasted in the old temple.
At 6:30 PM on each night of Chanukah, students gathered at Zachs Hillel House to light their own chanukiyot and say Chanukah blessings. “[Chanukah] is normally a family time and a community time, and Conn Coll Hillel (and the campus) is one big family, so we want to come together every night and celebrate,” said Rabbi Susan.
Conn Coll Hillel also hosted a Chanukah Party on the fifth night of Chanukah which fell on Dec. 2. The party was open to all students and had a huge turnout of nearly 150 people. It included candle lighting, catered refreshments, cookie decorating, and performances by improv group N2O and MOBROC band Aye Minus. N2O played a series of improv games and Aye Minus performed a set of seven songs, including “Chanukah, Oh Chanukah,” “Roxanne” by The Police, and “D’yer Mak’er” by Led Zeppelin. Isaac Moscowitz ‘22, Hillel board member and lead singer in Aye Minus, said, “My band mates and I have been working super hard the last few weeks and it’s always an amazing feeling to watch it pay off, especially when we can get a big crowd and I can see people really enjoying themselves.”
Eliana Hiam ‘25, Hillel board member, shared, “I thought the Chanukah party was a huge success and there were a lot more people there than I expected which was great! As a Jew it made me really happy to see everyone coming together to celebrate Chanukah, learn more about it, or just see their friends perform.” Another attendee, Genevieve Kuhlmann ‘22 said, “It was great to see so many people come together and enjoy [the party]. The performances and the people really gave the night an amazing energy.”
Rabbi Susan concluded, “This year it’s especially important to celebrate Chanukah because all students who are on campus now have been through such a hard last couple of years… it’s really important for us to come together and bring light into the world at this dark time.”
