In the midst of the Christmas lights twinkling throughout Harford County, there will also be Hanukkah lights burning in the coming days as Jewish families light candles for their menorahs and community menorahs are lit in Bel Air and Havre de Grace.
Bel Air Rabbi Kushi Schusterman told a fable Thursday in which the electricity in a town went out, but a passerby could still find his or her way with the light from menorahs in the windows.
"You still have that light and that warmth," Schusterman, executive director of Harford Chabad in Bel Air, said.
The light is what Hanukkah, which begins Tuesday, is all about. Hanukkah, or the Festival of Lights, lasts for eight nights in honor of the eight nights the oil burned in the menorah in the ancient Hebrew temple in Jerusalem.
Only one night's worth of oil remained when the temple was liberated, though, and it's long been considered a divine miracle that the oil lasted eight nights.
"Hanukkah is a holiday which celebrates the triumph of the underdog in society," Schusterman explained.
Jerusalem had been part of the Greco-Syrian Empire, which covered much of the Middle East and Persia, or modern-day Iran.
Jews living in the Holy Land were forced to adopt the Hellenistic Greek/Syrian culture, which included idol worship, and to forego Jewish traditions, particularly the worship of one God.
"Everything must be completely rational, so a God that you cannot see was not something that they would tolerate, and there was no freedom of religion," Schusterman said.
The Maccabee rebel army, which consisted of about 40,000 fighters, liberated the Holy Land.
"They were a small army, and they won the war over this Goliath of the day," Schusterman explained.
Hanukkah, which Schusterman describes as "the miracle of the war and the miracle of the oil," will be observed in a community setting in Harford County on two occasions.
Harford Chabad will host a community celebration at 5 p.m. Dec. 21 in Shamrock Park in Bel Air, which includes a menorah lighting and a donation drive to support SARC, Harford County's nonprofit organization for victims of domestic and sexual abuse.
Schusterman is a member of SARC's domestic violence prevention committee.
"I've seen firsthand people that they've helped, and they're a wonderful organization that generally does a good job of bringing light to people that definitely need it," he said.
Temple Adas Shalom in Havre de Grace will also hold its annual community Hanukkah celebration from 4 to 8 p.m. Dec. 20. The event includes a menorah lighting, activities for children and youths and a community dinner.
More information on the Harford Chabad celebration can be found at http://www.harfordchabad.org, and more information about the Temple Adas Shalom celebration can be found at http://www.harfordjewishcenter.org.
Jewish families traditionally celebrate Hanukkah with the lighting of candles in the menorah each night, singing holiday songs, playing games of dreidel, which is a small four-sided top with a Hebrew letter on each side, and exchanging gifts.
Exchanging gifts is the most recent Hanukkah tradition, and it has become popular among American Jews.
Schusterman said parents traditionally gave children gelt, or money, each night, and the children usually give at least 10 percent to a charitable organization.
"The goal of that is specifically, in order to teach the children both the value of money, but more importantly the value of charity," he said.
Hanukkah usually falls between Thanksgiving and New Year's Eve, and it overlaps with Christmas, known for its elaborate decorations and gift giving.
In recent years, Hanukkah gifts and decorations similar to Christmas gifts and decorations have been for sale.
For instance, the Maccabee on the Mantel, similar to the Elf on the Shelf, is a plush Maccabee warrior.
"People have to figure out what works for them in the best way," Schusterman said.