It is not a coincidence that Hanukkah, the Festival of Lights, which Jews around the world are celebrating this week, occurs during the darkest time of the year. It is only against the darkness that we are best able to see the light. And that is so true in what is happening in God’s Holy Land, Israel, right now. Against the darkness of war and suffering and loss, we are able to clearly see the miracles and light of Hanukkah through the actions of ordinary Israelis doing extraordinary things.
While Hanukkah commemorates the miracle of oil that lasted for eight days, it also celebrates the miraculous victory of a small rag-tag group of Jews, known as the Maccabees, over a much more powerful enemy who was trying to destroy their faith. The story of Hanukkah is a story of survival. It’s a story of heroism. And it’s a story of miraculous victory—of light over darkness, freedom over oppression.
This season of light and miracles is also a poignant reminder that the people of Israel are now more than 400 days into a battle for our very survival. Like last year, we observe Hanukkah against a backdrop of war, suffering, and loss. And as we have for thousands of years, we continue to defend our land and our faith, and trust that God will bless us with victory. With survival.
As we light the eight candles on our menorah during Hanukkah, we remember God’s protection, His providence, and the many miracles that He performed for the Jewish people during those eight holy days. It is here in Israel that the miracles of Hanukkah took place, and it’s here that His miracles continue to take place every day. Just as God provided for His people then, He is providing for His people again.
Over the past eight days, we have shared with you eight miracles, eight stories of God’s light shining through that have inspired and encouraged me as I hope they have for you as well.
We applauded the miracle of light that continues to shine through the work of the Tikva Odesa Orphanage, who helped bring 486 children to safety from war-ravaged Ukraine to safety in Romania.
We commended the determination of 24-year-old Noa Kalash, a survivor of the Nova Festival, who has dedicated her life to seeking the miracle of redemption for the hostages still held in Gaza by Hamas terrorists.
We celebrated the miracle of faithful servants like Benni Shukroon and Rabbi Yigal Tzipori of Beit Batya Soup Kitchen, who continue to feed the elderly unable to evacuate their homes along the Lebanese border in northern Israel—even when the soup kitchen was hit by a missile and sustained significant damage. We are also thankful for men like Eli Cohen and Rabbi Igal Tzipori, whose quick thinking miraculously provided protection for 45 schoolchildren as their bus was caught in a rocket barrage on the way home from school.
We saw the miracle of faith in 83-year-old Tamar Ifrah, whose Book of Psalms comforted her while she and her family were under attack from Hamas terrorists. We’re grateful for the miracle of courage in Keith Isaacson, head of security for the Eshkol region near the Gaza border, who ran toward enemy fire to rescue innocent Israelis and help defend his homeland.
We were encouraged by the story of 69-year-old Adele Raemer, an American Israeli who has become a refugee in her own land, yet holds strongly to the miracle of hope and the promise of one day returning to her kibbutz after it is rebuilt. And we are inspired by the miracle of freedom in the story of Daniel Kopilov, who bravely defended his adopted homeland against Hamas terrorists so that his parents and others can be free and secure.
But perhaps the greatest miracle of all, is that all of these miracles were made possible by our Christian friends, whose unwavering love for God’s holy children is manifested in their support of the International Fellowship of Christians and Jews’ lifesaving work and mission.
I am so grateful that throughout the past 14 months of unprecedented darkness, Israel and the Jewish people have been able to see the light shine even brighter than ever. For the first time in its history, Israel is not alone. As antisemitism is on a terrifying rise, the Jewish people are more grateful than ever that to see how we are joined in this fight by millions of Christians in America and around the world, who have steadfastly stood with Israel and the Jewish people and have remained committed to Israel’s right to exist. We’re grateful for the many Christians who have learned from history, have read their scriptures, and have committed to pray for the peace of Jerusalem.
Yes, there is hardship and sadness and heartbreak. But at the same time, we are sustained by our faith in the God of Israel, who neither slumbers nor sleeps, and in the daily miracles that He continues to perform on our behalf. It's with hearts of thanksgiving, that we are able to leave our bomb shelters and go straight to the ice cream store to enjoy life. We take nothing as a given and everything as a gift.
The story of Hanukkah is a story of hope. It is a story of the Jewish people’s resilience throughout history, who despite facing enemies much larger than themselves, prevailed and were victorious. It is this resilience that is at the core of the Jewish spirit that shines through each of these miraculous stories today.
We pray that with God’s blessing and provision, we will continue to prevail and be able to proclaim in one voice, “Am Israel Chai!” -- “The Nation of Israel Lives.”
Yael Eckstein is President and CEO of The International Fellowship of Christians and Jews, one of the world's largest religious charitable organizations. The Jerusalem Post's 2023 Humanitarian Award recipient and 4-time honoree on its 50 Most Influential Jews list, Yael is a Chicago-area native based in Israel with her husband and their four children.
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